HYDERABAD, Sept 28: Paramedics of Jamshoro district protested on Friday over political appointments at Liaquat University Hospital and demanded the removal of the medical superintendent.

The protest was led by Pakistan Paramedical Staff Association (PPSA).

The paramedics alleged that 37 people had been appointed a week ago at the hospital on a political basis. The appointments were made for the posts of technicians, drivers, peons, ward boys, ward-servants and others.

The paramedics said that over 200 daily-wage earners and more than 100 contractual employees were working at the hospital for three years but they were being neglected. They alleged that the medical superintendent, Dr Khalid Qureshi, did not work on the charter of demands presented to him by the PPSA regarding the son quota, appointments of daily-wage staff and regularisation of employees working on contract.

Dr Qureshi rejected all the allegations saying that all the appointments were made in a transparent manner, after advertisements in daily newspapers. “This is an issue raised by PPSA general-secretary Sharif Palari whom I had transferred from the store to the eye hospital after complaints of irregularities and corruption,” claimed Dr Qureshi. He said that a campaign has been launched by Mr Palari and his associates against him, the government, health minister and the secretary. He added that there were two factions of PPSA undergoing a court battle to lay claim to the association’s name.