PESHAWAR: Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday demanded a 100 per cent increase in doctors’ salaries in the upcoming provincial budget and warned of a protest campaign, including closure of outpatient departments (OPDs) and hospital wards, if their demands were not met within two weeks.

Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club, PDA chairman Dr Zubair, accompanied by association office-bearers including president Dr Amir Taj, joint secretary Dr Yasir and Dr Fazal Manan, said the provincial government had failed to provide any significant increase in doctors’ salaries since 2016 despite soaring inflation.

He said doctors across various cadres including specialists, teaching staff, administrators, house officers and medical officers were still receiving salaries largely based on the 2016 pay structure.

“The salaries of doctors have remained stagnant for nearly a decade, while the cost of living has increased drastically,” Dr Zubair said, adding that many doctors in government hospitals were earning between Rs50,000 and Rs60,000 per month, while salaries in some private hospitals ranged from Rs40,000 to Rs45,000.

The PDA leadership also criticised what it described as excessive taxation and regulatory charges imposed on medical professionals. Dr Amir Taj alleged that doctors were being subjected to multiple fees and charges in the name of registration, licensing and training.

The association demanded an end to political interference in hospitals and called for merit-based appointments throughout the health department. It also urged the government to address alleged corruption, favouritism and irregularities in appointments to senior positions.

Dr Zubair said that promotions of doctors had been delayed for years and called for action against officials responsible for the delays. He demanded that a special promotion board meeting be convened to clear pending promotions across all cadres.

The association further opposed the use of the physical recognition attendance system, claiming that technical issues and internet connectivity problems had made the mechanism impractical in many areas.

Among other demands, the PDA called for an end to contractual and fixed-pay recruitment practices, recruitment of specialists and management cadre officers through the Public Service Commission and implementation of merit-based hiring in public hospitals.

The doctors also demanded an independent third-party audit of Medical Teaching Institutions (MTIs), alleging corruption and financial irregularities in some hospitals operating under the MTI framework.

Referring to the Fountain House facility, Dr Zubair said the hospital, constructed for the treatment of mental health patients, should continue to function exclusively as a specialised psychiatric institution in accordance with its original development plan.

The association also demanded timely payment of salaries to doctors employed on fixed-pay contracts, claiming that some had not received their salaries for the past seven months.

“If our demands are ignored, we will be compelled to launch a strike,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026