PESHAWAR, Nov 15: The doctors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday set a two-week deadline for implementation of service structure and acceptance of their demands and warned that if government did not fulfil their demands they will go on strike across the province.

Provincial Doctors Association president Dr Abdul Qadar while speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday said that the government was not sincere in meeting their demands given and using delaying tactics.

He said that a service structure had been drafted but it was yet to be implemented and that was why unrest among the doctors community was increasing with each passing day.

Flanked by PDA chairman Dr Shahsawar and others, he said that the draft had been pending in the finance and establishment departments for the last two years but the relevant officials of health department were least bothered to solve the matter.

He said that in case the service structure was not implemented, it would affect at least 1,000 doctors.

Under the proposed new service structure, he said, around 42 doctors of BSP-19 would be upgraded to BSP-20, while about 363 to 500 doctors would get promotion from grade 18 to 19 otherwise they would retire in the same grade.

Dr Shahsawar said that the government should take practical steps for implementation of the service structure instead of raising hollow slogans. He said doctors were playing important role in the prevailing situation in the province.

“We want a proper service structure and incentives to deliver better health services in the province,” he demanded and said that in this uncertain situation doctors had the only option to go on strike.

Besides, he also condemned the kidnapping of Dr Aziz, saying that government had completely failed to provide security to doctors’ community. He said they had raised the issue several times with the authorities concerned but to no avail.