LAHORE: The Punjab Directorate General Health Services (DGHS) has issued an order for the implementation of the four-tier service structure for the allied health professionals (AHPs) working with public sector health facilities across the province.

More than 50,000 allied health professionals are awaiting implementation of the service structure since November 2011 when the Punjab government had notified it.

“Consequence upon the notification of Health Department vide No SO (ND) 7-00(2010) paramedics, dated Nov 24, 201, the implementation on this notification has been subjected to slackness, there for it is imperative that the notification may be implemented in letter and spirit,” an official order issued by the convener implementation committee of the DGHS reads.

The official order for the implementation on the notification was issued to all the principals of medical colleges/teaching institutions, all heads of special institutions working under control of health secretary/director general health Punjab, all executive district officers (health ), medical superintendents of government hospitals, and all principals of paramedical schools of the province.

The directorate intimated the heads of the institutions to take preparatory steps for implementation of AHP four-tier service structure in the light of the government notification in its true spirit.

“You are requested to complete the process of upgrade of the AHPs of your institutions/districts from BPS-9 to BPS-15accordingly and prepare the seniority lists of the allied health professionals technology-wise instead of category-wise placing the higher scale on top,” the letter reads.

It further asked them to prepare the seniority lists of AHPs BPS-16 and above and send the same to the government, enabling it to complete the process for the implementation of four-tier service structure.

A spokesman for the allied health professionals criticised the government functionaries for the inordinate delay in implementation the notified service structure. He welcomed the decision of the DGHS Punjab but expressed fear that the implementing authorities might spend more years to materialise this scheme.

The spokesman warned of agitation in case the heads of the institutions in the province further delayed it.

“Our association which is representing the paramedics and other allied health professionals is going to meet in coming days to devise further strategy to put pressure on the government medical/health institutions for the implementation on the 4-tier service structure in letter and spirit within a month or so,” the spokesman said.

Published in Dawn, October 4th , 2014