HYDERABAD, Jan 29 The Sindh chapter of the Pakistan Paramedical Staff Association on Thursday threatened to launch a movement from Feb 16 to March 4 in the province, and put locks on the hospitals, except emergency ward, from March 5 if the government failed to solve their problems by the deadline.

The provincial head of the association, Mohammad Saleh Ghaho, said at a news conference at the press club that paramedics had been left with no other option but to launch a movement and lock up hospitals.

If the government failed to take notice of the protests, thousands of employees from all over the province would gather at Chandka Medical College Larkana on March 5, and hold a march up to the mausoleum of Benazir Bhutto where they would observe hunger strike till the acceptance of demands, he said. He said that in past, the association with 40,000 members had launched a long march from Kashmore to Karachi to get the service structure approved.

Even after ouster of the dictatorial regime, the government was patronising its own blue-eyed boys instead of resolving problems, he said.

He said that the democratic government had disappointed the paramedical staff as it was appointing favourites to the reserved seats of the deceased employees` quota.

He demanded that the employment quota should be fixed for the sons of the in-service and retired employees and the authority for appointment on the deceased quota should be transferred to local level.

Mr Ghaho urged that the employees, who had passed relevant courses from the Sindh faculty or nursing board, should be adjusted on vacant posts on priority basis and the services of contract and temporary employees should be regularised.

He demanded action against officials of different districts and teaching hospitals where service structure had not been implemented yet. The rural allowance of Rs3,000 as per announcement by the health department should be paid with effect from March 2007, when the announcement had been made, he said.

He said that minimum salary of lady health workers should be fixed at Rs6,000 per month and service structure should be applied to paramedical staff of district councils.