HYDERABAD, Feb 14: The Post-graduate Doctors' Forum has demanded payment of monthly stipend to post-graduate students of medical institutions in Sindh according to a decision made by the Sindh Governor , and warned of resorting to protest if it is not paid.

Speaking at a press conference here on Monday, Dr Arshad Hussain and others said that the issue of payment of the stipend had been resolved at a meeting presided over by the governor and attended by the provincial secretaries of health and finance departments, vice chancellors of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences and Dow Medical University and the president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan in August 2004.

They said that the meeting had approved a stipend of Rs6,210 for each post-graduate student and added that such a bill had also been passed in academic council, senate and syndicate of the LUMHS.

They said that according to their information, payment of stipend had been withheld in the Accountant-General office on account of a mistake which had later been rectified by the health department.

They said that in other provinces, not only that stipend was being paid to post-graduate students of medical institutions but it had also been raised to Rs10,000 by the then prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

They said that double standard should not be applied to the doctors of Sindh who were catering to 80 per cent needs of patients in the out-patient departments and also serving in wards and operation theatres.

They appealed to the authorities to direct the AG office to pay stipend to them on priority basis and threatened otherwise they would launch a protest movement.