Demands met: Govt approves service structure for doctors

Health dept intends to implement the service structure before fiscal year ends.

PESHAWAR: The demands of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) perennially protesting doctors were agreed to on Monday as the government issued a notification on the approval of a service structure for them.

According to the notification issued, the health department intends to pursue and implement the proposed service structure before the end of the current fiscal year 2013-2014.

The subcommittee constituted by Minister for Health Shaukat Yousafzai and headed by the heath secretary made recommendations on the cadre structure, recruitment, promotions and postings/transfers of doctors to the minister on Monday that he approved.

The notification stated the accepted recommendations include accident and emergency allowance for doctors in district headquarter hospitals, the establishment of an endowment fund for doctors, and an increase in the number of junior and senior registrars in four tertiary care hospitals of the province. A subcommittee shall also examine those provisions of the K-P Regulatory Act 2011 that are not beneficial for doctors and propose amendments.

Under the approved structure, doctors who hold FCPS degrees will be allowed to get an allowance equal to that of PhD scholars in the education department.

Welcoming the government’s decision, Young Doctors Association (YDA) president Dr Zubair said, “YDA is thankful to the doctor associations and health department for finalising this draft.”

In September 2013, Yousafzai had promised doctors that their demands would be met within three months. He constituted a subcommittee to examine the existing service structure.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2014.