Protesters shut down Polyclinic OPD

Health professionals strike enters fourth day.

ISLAMABAD:

Patients going to public hospitals in the capital were in for more pain on Thursday as protesting auxiliary staff locked down the Polyclinic outpatient department (OPD).

Members of the Joint Action Committee of Regular Employees of Federal Government Hospitals, who are on strike since Monday, did not allow anyone from going to the OPD.

All the health professionals who have adopted Health Personnel Pay Scale (HPS) under Career Structure for Health Professionals (CSHP) Ordinance 2011 are against the strike, whereas the health professionals who have adopted Basic Pay Scale (BPS) are supporting it. These include doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and non-medical staff.

Those under BPS are demanding the same perks and privileges as the health professionals under HPS.

They have also demanded for the immediate removal of Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi, blaming her for creating a gap between the health professionals under HPS and BPS.

Young Doctors Association (YDA) Pims Chapter President Dr Asfandyar claimed that some officials in the administration of the hospital are behind the strike.

He explained that they do not qualify for the posts they are serving at if they switched to HPS, because they do not have the requisite qualification and experience.

“We tried to serve patients by setting camps in the lawns of the hospital. But the administration stopped us by saying that it will create a big scuffle in the hospital and patients will suffer more,” he said.

They also asked the administration to provide them security so that they could perform their duties and also unlock the OPDs, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2012.