LAHORE: In a late Friday night development , the health department and the striking employees of the government hospitals finally reached an agreement.

Both sides agreed to resolve the prime demand of the doctors and nurses to reinstate their colleagues who had been either terminated or suspended from service during previous strikes.

“A committee comprising an eminent retired professor/ principal, an officer of the department and a representative of a Grand Health Alliance will be constituted to examine the cases of termination of ad hoc doctors, show cause notices to the doctors, nurses and suspension of paramedics,” reads the agreement the two sides inked on Friday night.

Under the settlement, suspension cases of YDA leaders Dr Mahmood Asad, Dr Asad Shah, Dr Atif Majeed and show cause issued to staff nurses Mrs Rozina and Mrs Khadija will be decided within a fortnight.

Both sides also decided to go for gradual screening of all the health professionals due to coronavirus.

The personal protective equipment will be provided to the health professionals according to the criteria of the World Health Organisation, reads the agreement.

The doctors, nurses and paramedics have been on hunger strike outside the health department secretariat for the last two weeks.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2020