Protestors criticise provincial government for its failure to fulfil its promises. ILLUSTRATION: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Nursing Association (KPNA) has threatened to call a province-wide strike within two weeks if they are not given facilities similar to that in other provinces.
Representatives of the KPNA addressed a joint press conference of various district presidents at the Peshawar Press Club and criticised the provincial government for its failure to fulfil its promises.
“The Punjab government gives Rs11,100 monthly scholarships to nursing students, while the K-P government only pays Rs3,565. The uniform and mess allowances are also very low here,” said KPNA Peshawar President Farukh Jalil.
He informed the crowd that the K-P health department asked to provide proof of their claim which they did on February 28, 2012. Their appeal was disapproved by the finance department who said they lack funds to increase the allowance.
District Buner Nursing Association President Sahib Zaman said only 59 nurses from BPS-16 to 17 and five nurses from BPS-17 to 18 were promoted. “The rest have not been promoted in years”. He also said the government should provide financial aid to compensate the families of nurses Farzana Kausar and Dil Raj Begum. Kausar was gunned down in Nowshera last month and Dil Raj was killed in a Charsadda blast in June 2012.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2013.
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