PESHAWAR, July 26: The NWFP Paramedical Association on Monday started a four-day token strike throughout the province against government's failure to announce a proper service structure for them.

"More than 10,000 paramedics would observe a token strike for four days, which would be followed by a complete strike in phases in different districts," said Sirajuddin Burki, Provincial President of the Paramedics' Association (PMA).

Paramedics at the city hospitals wore black arm-bands and hoisted banners and placards, inscribed with slogans, asking the government to announce the service structure for them.

Mr Burki told newsmen that the association had tried its best to avoid a confrontation with the government, but they were compelled to do so, because of the what he called step-motherly attitude of the government with them. According to him, paramedics along with doctors and nurses formed a tricycle which provided health-care facilities to the people.

Doctors and nurses, he said, had proper service structure, whereas the paramedics were appointed in BPS-6 and retired in the same grade after serving for 30 years. Lack of the service structure, he said, had been causing problems for them as there was no promotion opportunities.

Mr Burki said that they had been struggling for the service structure since long. The MMA government, he said, had promised them the service structure, but it had not fulfilled its promise.

"One year ago, the MMA government had said that an additional amount of Rs15million has been sanctioned for the service structure, but all such promises have proved to be hollow claims and nothing else," he said.

He said the four-day token strike would be followed by complete strikes in district and agency headquarters hospitals and ultimately a complete strike would be observed throughout the province to force the government to accept their demand.

Mr Burki announced that during the strike emergency cover would be provided to all critically-ill patients. He said it was an injustice with the paramedics, who passed matriculation examination in Grade A, do one-year-course and then passed the examination, but there were no chances of promotions for them.

He said the paramedics worked in operation theatres, wards, perform X-Rays and work in laboratories lacked protection against infectious diseases. Most of the health workers, he said, had been infected with hepatitis as they had to work in hospitals without proper precautionary measures against different diseases.