May 29, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 23, 1429

PESHAWAR, May 28: Provincial Doctors Association has postponed the proposed boycott of OPDs at the teaching hospitals after assurances by the provincial government regarding resolution of their demands.A delegation of PDA held separate meetings with secretaries of health and finance departments on Wednesday and discussed the problems relating to doctors.

PDA president Dr Abdul Qadir said that response of officials was encouraging as they agreed to increase Non Practicing Allowance of doctors.

Doctors serving in PBS 17 receive Rs500 per month under NPA while those working in PBS 18, 19 and 20 get Rs700 allowance. In Punjab, he said, a grade 17 doctor drew Rs4,000 while the allowance given to BPS-18, 19 and 20 grades was Rs6,000 per month.

He said they had asked the officials concerned to create 500 leave reserved seats for the doctors which, he hoped would be done. However, he said that they still had doubts if the government would honour the promises regarding their demands as it failed to implement the decisions in the past.—Bureau Report