Doctors, paramedical staff injured in Islamabad protest

Employees of federal hospitals are protesting against freezing of their health-risk allowance

ISLAMABAD: At least 20 doctors and paramedical staff of federal public hospitals sustained injuries and 12 of them were arrested on Tuesday after police baton-charged to stop them from marching towards the Prime Minister Secretariat.

“At least 20 doctors and paramedics sustained injuries during the clash,” Dr Tanveer Malik, Polyclinic spokesperson, told The Express Tribune.

Employees of federal public hospitals have been protesting against the freezing of their health risk allowance. Last week, the doctors threatened the government to march towards the secretariat if their demands were not met before September 8.

Read: Doctors, paramedics protest non-release of funds

The Finance Division had issued a notice on July 7 under which employees of the federal hospitals stopped receiving health-risk allowance from July 30.

Clash between employees of federal hospitals and police in Islamabad on September 8, 2015. PHOTO: WASEEM NAZIR/EXPRESS

Hence, as part of their continuing protest against the finance division’s move and getting no satisfactory answer till the given deadline, employees of Polyclinic  Hospital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), CDA Hospital, NIRM and National Institute of Health (NIH) set off their march towards the PM Secretariat at 11:30am. Services at the main emergency departments remained functional; however, locking outpatient departments (OPDs) were locked.

The doctors and paramedics were wearing black arm bands and chanted slogans against the government. The protestors said the government had deprived them of their basic right.