SAHIWAL: At least three dozen contractual employees of the primary and secondary healthcare department inducted under the New Management Structure (NMS) held separate rallies and demonstrations on Wednesday noon against the non-payment of their salaries for seven months.

The protests were held at the DHQ and THQ hospitals in Pakpattan, Okara, Sahiwal, Arifwala, Chichawatni and Depalpur under the banner of All Punjab Hospital Management Association (APHMA). Similar protests were held across Punjab.

The protesters claimed that they had not been paid their salaries for seven months.

Three main activists of the APHMA in Pakpattan, Arifwala and Chichawatni told this correspondent that the association demanded the regularisation of 1,500 personnel, inclusion of annual increment from the day of appointment and release of seven-month salaries.

Around 1,500 people had been inducted by the health department in various batches on contract in Grade 17 since 2017 following interviews and tests.

The new officer cadre was called New Management Structure and appointed in 25 DHQ and 12 THQ hospitals of Punjab mostly as admin, finance and budget, human resource and procurement officers. The last batch of 296 personnel was inducted in the mid 2020.

GANG BUSTED: The Yousafwal police claimed to have arrested an inter-district gang of dacoits and robbers that was involved in snatching trucks from highways and the surrounding roads running through Sahiwal, Pakpattan Okara, Khanewala and Vehari districts.

Police arrested five members of the gang, including Azhar Naseem, Safdar, Irfan Aslam, Rizwanul Haq and Faisal, and recovered looted material worth Rs12.5 million.

Saddar Deputy Superintendent of Police Farrukh Javed said the gang was involved in snatching trucks and vans that carried edibles such as packed milk, chips and other kitchen or grocery items.

The gang was also involved in snatching containers of consumables items.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2021