PESHAWAR: Provincial Doctors Association has announced to launch a province-wide protest today (Wednesday) to demand restoration of the posts of civil servants in teaching hospitals, increase in salaries of trainee medical officers and house officers and action against the people involved in irregularities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Healthcare Commission.

The office-bearers of the association told Dawn that they had pinned great hopes on the caretaker government for resolution of their longstanding problems, but it proved immense disappointment. They said that it prompted them to launch strike for acceptance of their demands.

The protest will continue till Sunday, after which it will be converted into full-scale strike, including withdrawal of all elective services throughout the province.

“We demand of the chief minister and health adviser to sympathetically consider our genuine issues and ensure that the patients continue receiving healthcare services at the hospitals,” they said.

Demand increase in salary and restoration of posts of civil servants in teaching hospitals

The PDA leaders said that government should immediately restore the positions of civil servants in medical teaching institutions abolished by previous government as it adversely impacted the promotion of medics, who had been appointed by health department after competitive examinations held under Public Service Commission.

They said that the slots of civil servants were reflected in budgetary book and could not be converted or abolished as per the law. Therefore, restoration of those positions in the MTIs was required to end prevalent unrest among hundreds of doctors, they added.

“A summary regarding this is gathering dust in health department for the past three months. The salaries and stipend of trainee medical officers and house officers are far lesser that other servants and should be raised,” they said.

The PDA leaders alleged that there were massive irregularities on the part of Board of Governors of teaching hospitals and administrative officers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Healthcare Commission. They demanded removal of the people involved in misappropriation of funds.

They asked government to introduce reforms on the patterns of Punjab and Sind provinces to take action against the growing quackery and save the patients from the non-qualified medical practitioners.

They said that an anti-quackery cell should be established to deal exclusively with unqualified doctors. “We request the health department to approve promotion of more than 140 doctors, who have been waiting for their upgradation to higher posts since January. A summary regarding this is lying in the office of health adviser,” they added.

The association’s leaders said they were concerned about the filling of vacant posts of general and management cadre. They asked the government to advertise the same immediately and appoint candidates on those positions as they were needed the most.

“Board of Governors in all MTIs should be removed at once and probes should be launched into their alleged malpractices and corruption and out-of-merit appointments and procurements. Professionals should be hired to run the MTIs instead of political appointees,” they said.

They said that they were not opposed to ensuring presence of staff at the health facilities but the government should consultant stakeholders before enforcement of biometric attendance.

The PDA leaders also rejected health department’s notification about clinics of doctors within radius of 500 meters of their duty places and suggested to improve the hospitals so that patients did not visit the private clinics and get services at state hospitals round-the-clock.

They rejected disciplinary action against Dr Sibghatullah and demanded action against MTI Bannu and enforcement of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Employees Social Security Act, 2020, to ensure protection of health workers against violence.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2023