ISLAMABAD: Healthcare workers on Tuesday kept public hospitals of the capital closed in protest against nonpayment of Covid-19 Health Risk Allowance (HRA).

The protest not only kept the vaccination suspended but also closed outpatient departments. Surgeries were also affected by the closure. However, emergency departments remained open.

On the other hand, Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) came with a proposal to divide staff into clinical and non-clinical segments but employees rejected the proposal and announced that the hospitals would remain closed till issuance of notification regarding allowance.

Employees have been demanding that the health risk allowance should be issued to all employees of hospitals but the ministry wants the allowance given to only those employees who served directly in the Covid wards.

On Tuesday, different departments of Pims, Polyclinic, National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Capital Hospital remained closed.

NIRM Young Doctors Association President Yousuf Ali Khan, told Dawn that Parliamentary Secretary for NHS Dr Nausheen Hamid and MNA Nafeesa Khattak came to Polyclinic to hold negotiations and wanted to divide the staff into clinical and non-clinical segments. “We rejected the proposal and told that the hospitals will remain closed till payment of the allowance,” he said.

Grand Health Alliance Chairman Dr Asfandyar Khan told Dawn that strike continued in all hospitals and vaccination centres remained closed.

He said ministry was insisting that ward boys and kitchen staff should not be included in clinical staff.

“We believe that ward boys work in the ward and kitchen staff also visit wards to provide food and wash the crockery of Covid patients.

“However, we agreed that management and account section can be included in non clinical staff. We have told the ministry that the notification on payment of 12 months HRA should be issued. Otherwise we will continue the strike,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2021