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ISLAMABAD: Employees of five hospitals of the federal capital have announced to observe strike from tomorrow (Friday).
The decision was taken after they failed to get a response from the health ministry on restoration of health risk allowance.
Earlier a meeting was held in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) to discuss the issue, which was chaired by Federal Health Alliance (FHA) Chairman Chaudhry Qamar Gujar. Representatives of all hospitals and District Health Office attended the meeting.
Talking to Dawn, Chaudhry Qamar Gujar said a token strike would be observed daily from 8am to 10am.
“During the strike, employees will suspend their duties to register their protest. All participants fully supported the decision and demanded the government immediately restore the health allowance,” he said.
Mr Gujar said if the government failed to restore the allowance, duration of the strike would be increased, adding that “the entire responsibility for the difficulties faced by patients will be on the ministry and the government”.
It is worth mentioning here that the healthcare workers of at least five public hospitals in Islamabad were up in arms against the recent budget, which did not offer them any incentives, such as the disparity reduction allowance announced for other government employees. They were also disgruntled about the government’s decision to ignore their demand for restoration of health risk allowance suspended in 2014. The allowance, which was equal to a basic salary, was introduced by the PPP government in 2011 but withdrawn by the PML-N government in 2014.
Last week, union leader Chaudhry Qamar Javed Gujar, while speaking at a press conference, said a number of departments, including the PM Office, had received a raise in their salaries from 80pc to 300pc, but the hospital employees were ignored in the federal budget.
“We serve patients day and night, but our rights are being denied. The hospital employees would be mobilised for a massive protest movement and the government would be solely responsible for any consequences,” he had said.
Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2025
