April 10, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 9: Specialist doctors at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) have threatened to go on strike if the hospital administration did not withdraw its decision bounding them to perform additional duties at night.

The hospital administration has directed the specialist doctors in general surgery, medical cardiac, cancer, neurology, orthopaedic, gastroenterology, nephrology and other departments to perform additional duties at night besides their routine duty during day time. A new duty roster has also been issued in this regard.

However, the doctors said they cannot perform duties during day time followed by night duty.

According to the new duty roster, at least two specialist doctors would perform duties at the night shift.

The responsibility of specialist doctors is to take care of patients in emergency department, conduct round of all wards and departments, admit and discharge patients, supervise doctors, nurses, paramedical and other staff besides providing medical treatment and protocol to VVIPs and parliamentarians

The hospital administration said the new duty roster was issued on the directives of Executive Director Pims Dr Abdul Majeed Rajput and in consultation with the specialist doctors.—Online