ISLAMABAD, Nov 12: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday approved enhancement of stipends of the postgraduate trainees and house officers working in federal government hospitals throughout the country, but postponed a decision regarding payment of honorarium to certain other categories of trainee doctors.

The stipends of house officers has been raised from Rs5,000 per month to Rs12,000 per month, whereas the postgraduate trainees have been given a raise of Rs5,000 per month and their revised stipend has been fixed at Rs15,000 per month, a notification said.

The enhancement would be effective from January 1, 2007 and the doctors would be paid all arrears.

The decision for payment of honorarium to trainee doctors of MCPS, DCPS, DCH and MPhil programmes has been deferred and has been left for the incoming government to decide. The trainee doctors of these programmes are not being paid any allowance.

The decision, one of the last concerning the health ministry as the government is about to complete its tenure, came after months of protests by trainee doctors at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) for enhancement of stipends and would benefit over 3,000 trainee doctors working in JPMC Karachi, National Institute of Child Health Karachi, National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases Karachi, Poly Clinic Islamabad, Pims Islamabad, Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Hospital, Quetta.

A representative of postgraduate trainee doctors of Pims Dr Sajid welcomed the decision on behalf of his colleagues. However, he said, their struggle would continue till the fulfilment of their remaining demands regarding payment of an equal stipend for all PGs of MCPS, DCPS, DCH, DCP, DOphth, DGO, MPhil and others, who are not being currently paid.

The postgraduate trainees and house officers form the backbone of medical care at the hospitals where they perform long hour duties, at least two 36-hour calls per week, where they are expected to attend most conscientiously to patients, many of whom are at the crossroads of life and death. In return they get poor remunerations, but feel content with a hope of better future.