ISLAMABAD, Oct 23: The postgraduate trainee doctors of the city’s largest tertiary care hospital - Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences - went on symbolic strike from Tuesday to press for increase in stipends and vowed to go on a full-fledged strike if their demands were not met by the weekend.

The trainee doctors wore black armbands while working in the hospital. However, Pims Executive Director Dr Fazle Hadi claimed surgeries in the orthopaedic department were affected because of the symbolic strike.

The doctors met late in the night to chalk out their future strategy, but the dominant opinion was against launching a full- fledged strike fearing administrative backlash.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during his visit to the hospital on the eve of Eidul Fitr had promised to increase their stipends, but they were skeptical about his assurance and the delay is leading to uneasiness among their cadres.

They had earlier given the administration one-week ultimatum to implement the promised increase, but the matter appears to be taking much longer with the government engaged in other pressing matters.

Dr Hadi said the trainee doctors had been misled and they should have accepted the prime minister’s promise as the final word and avoided strike. The trainee doctors of FCPS and MS/MD are seeking an increase from the existing Rs10,000 to more than Rs15,000 per month. They are also demanding an equal stipend for all PGs of MCPS, DCPS, DCH, DCP, DOphth, DGO, M.Phil and others, who are currently not being paid.

Meanwhile, the house officers are asking an increase in their stipend from the existing Rs6,000 to Rs12,000. Furthermore, the doctors want the arrears to be paid with effect from January 2007 when the revised stipend rate was implemented in the Punjab. At present, the postgraduate trainees are paid Rs 10,000 per month for at least two 36-hour calls per week.

Ruing the poor stipend rates for the trainee doctors, the doctors say, fresh graduates in other fields get much better returns.