LAHORE, April 12: Chief secretary Salman Siddique has constituted a committee to finalise recommendations for the resolution of problems being faced by the doctors community.

This was stated by PMA’s Lahore president Prof Imtiaz Rasool, general secretary Dr Azeemuddin Zahid and others at a news conference at the PMA House on Wednesday.

The committee, comprising Punjab health minister, health secretary and PMA Action Committee office-bearers, will be required to hold its first meeting within three days.

They said the decision was taken by the chief secretary after a meeting with the PMA Action Committee delegation led by Prof Rasool.

Reiterating PMA Action Committee’s demands, the delegation said the government should enhance house officers’ stipend up to Rs10,000 per month. It demanded that the postgraduate resident doctors, emergency medical officers, assistant directors and medical officers should be regularised in BPS-17. The medical officers having postgraduate qualifications working on contract and OPS basis should be merged into the teaching cadre without affecting their seniority.

The delegation also demanded that the government should remove hurdles in the promotions of regular doctors. It said the government should enhance doctors’ non-practising allowance up to Rs6,000.

It said the government should negotiate with the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan for reduction in fee and abolition of the implementation of its rules retrospectively. It also urged the government to withdraw increase in fees in its medical colleges.