PESHAWAR: Health workers on Friday threatened to go on strike if the government did not meet their demands, some of which pertain to handing over of a newly constructed hostel at the Lady Reading Hospital to the paramedical staff, paramedics’ representation in different committees, filling of vacancies, setting up of separate canteen for them, and turning their CP fund into GP fund.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the general body of paramedical association at the LRH. The meeting was chaired by the association’s president Syed Soidar Shah. A large number of office-bearers attended the meeting.

The paramedics said initially they would observe a complete strike at the LRH on Oct 18, and if the government failed to meet their demands, they would expand their agitation.

The speakers gave three weeks deadline to the administration of Lady Reading Hospital to accept charter of demands of the employees otherwise the decision to observe a complete strike on Oct 18 would be final.

The strike, they said would be extended to other hospitals of Peshawar division and gradually to the entire province to put pressure on the government to accept their demands.

The other demands include restoration of haj, umrah policy for health employees and approval of medicines for the paramedics’ relatives, who are admitted to the Bolton Block of the hospital from time to time.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2016