KARACHI, July 5: Sindh Health Adviser Faisal Malik refusing to be bogged down or pressurized by any group has assured that genuine demands of paramedics would be taken into consideration and a revised pay structure for the latter could be announced within 10 days. Talking to journalists following a deliberation with a 12-member delegation of paramedics associated with Sindh Health Department here on Tuesday, he said that the long pending demand of paramedics regarding son quota had already been accepted.

Acknowledging that paramedics like other employees of health department need to be offered better grades and relevant benefits, he said that proposed recommendations would be despatched to the finance department for approval before being formally announced by the health department.

He said that certain discrepancies did exist between the health department authorities and paramedics and this ought to be settled. For the very purpose, Faisal Malik suggested the 12-member delegation to shrink their number to six and explicitly discuss their demand, ultimately helping them to reach an understanding of mutual satisfaction.

The health adviser said the demand to ensure that paramedics inducted in grade nine be promoted up to grade 14 and 15 or those inducted in grades one to three be provided opportunity to reach up to grade eight, depending on their length of service, would be given due consideration.

With regard to the submission forwarded by the paramedics that the service structure forwarded by Health Director-General Hadi Bakhsh Jatoi in 1998 be adopted as basis for structure to be announced in 2005, the adviser observed that circumstances had drastically changed and it might not be appropriate.

Faisal Malik minced no words in reminding the delegation that promotion in better grades would not change their job description and they would be required to realize their responsibilities.

The delegation, headed by Chairman Joint Action Committee of Sindh Paramedics Niaz Hussain Bhutto, assured that they did not expect any concession in matters related to the quality of service.

The Sindh Paramedics Joint Action Committee comprising Ejaz Kakapoto Mehar, Qayum Marwat, Zakir Hussain, Parshotum, M. Riaz Jillani, Nazir Detho, Abdul Lateef Otho, Shaukat Ali Khokar also attended the meeting.

Earlier talking to APP, they said the committee comprising representative of Sindh Paramedics Association, Pakistan Paramedics Association and Peoples Paramedics Association on Tuesday morning had met Sindh Finance Minister Sardar Ahmed who while extending them a sympathetic hearing regretted that no summary regarding service structure for Sindh Paramedics had even been forwarded to him.—APP