KOHAT, July 30: Office-bearers of the provincial and divisional chapters of associations representing paramedics, during a protest meeting on Monday, lamented the lack of efforts on the part of the government to recover one of their colleagues who was kidnapped more than three weeks ago.

They said the government had failed to honour its promises for the safe recovery of dispenser Hamzallah who was kidnapped on his way back from the Basic Health Unit in Ali Kach on July 7.

The paramedics, who observed a strike on July 26 in the KDA Divisional Medical Complex and the Women and Children’s Hospital, brought their protest to Hangu and Karak on Monday. Their strike, which started at 7.30am, ended at 2 pm.

However, in Karak the hospital administration was able to keep their health centre functioning after holding successful discussions with the paramedics.

Addressing a protest meeting at the KDA Divisional Medical Complex, the provincial president of the paramedics’ association, Sirajud Din, warned doctors that they would not be supported in their protests because they had refused to join the protest launched by the paramedics.

The chairman of the NWFP Paramedics Association, Roedad Khan, said the district coordination officer for Kohat had sought three days for the recovery of the kidnapped dispenser, but later refused to even meet a delegation of paramedics.

The protest meeting was also addressed by Rehmatullah of the Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Rashid Bokhari of Kohat, Luqman Gul of Hangu and Shafiur Rehman of Karak.

They said the medical superintendent of the KDA Hospital and the executive district officer (health) for Kohat had no time to take up the issue with the government functionaries.