IN response to a medical circular/2918, dated 16.11.2011, issued by the head office of the Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Islamabad, the hospitalisation facilities were suspended for PCSIR employees for a period of six months or till the availability of the required funds.

It may be stated that the imposed suspension of hospitalisation has caused the employees a lot of inconvenience and financial hardships, and they are still suffering. It may be emphasised that pensioners are the worst sufferers due to the suspension of all hospitals on the PCSIR panel. Therefore, the restoration of hospitals and hospitalisation facilities is needed without further delay.

To add strength to this request, some of the valid reasons are as follows:

(a)    Since most of the pensioners are senior citizens with weak health, they badly require that hospitalisation facilities be restored.

(b)    Owing to inflation and spiraling cost of daily commodities, they are not in a position to make both ends meet. Then how could they be able to bear hospitalisation expenditure, especially in case an operation is needed?

As such, there is no way left except to beg or die. Is this the reward pensioners deserve for their life-time services?

Finally, the PCSR chairman, the Ministry of Science and Technology and all other relevant authorities are requested to restore PCSIR panel hospitals for the benefit of their employees, especially pensioners.

A PCSIR PENSIONER Karachi