ABBOTTABAD: The Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) on Tuesday announced the suspension of all allied health services in the teaching

hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Ayub Teaching Hospital, in protest against the delay in salary raise, lack of security to medics and promotions.

Talking to mediapersons here, PDA president Dr Zia Qamar said the association had long been demanding its ‘legitimate’ rights, including increase in salaries of medical officers, implementation of category B notification of trainee medical officers of Ayub Teaching hospital, job security to faculty in Medical Teaching Institutions (MTIs) and their promotions under PMDC rules.

He demanded the implementation of the Security Act, 2020 in hospitals across the province.

Dr Qamar said PDA provincial chairman Dr Zubair Zahir along with other representatives had met with top health officials in Peshawar to help resolve the matter, but to no avail, forcing him to announce suspension of all allied health services in all the teaching hospitals till acceptance of their demands.

However, he said emergency services would continue to be provided to patients.

MEETING: A meeting held here on Tuesday took stock of the security provided to the passengers on the Babu Sar Top Road and Karakoram Highway.

Commissioner Hazara Syed Zaheerul Islam, DIG Mohammad Ejaz Khan, police and administrative officials from Diamer Astor, Commander Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts Amir Zeb and others attended the meeting, according to a press release.

It was noted that both KP and GB governments were working together to provide protection to the passengers travelling between the two regions.

The meeting also discussed measures to provide foolproof security to the foreigners working on different projects in Hazara and GB.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023