MULTAN, April 9: Dental house surgeons of the Nisthar Hospital observed a hunger strike here on Tuesday to protest against non-payment of house job allowance.

The doctors observed a complete strike and set up a hunger strike camp at the outdoor of the dental section of the hospital under the banner of the Dental House Surgeons Association. They were demanding rights for them equal to that of the graduates of the de ‘Montmorrency College of Dentistry, Lahore.

Talking to Dawn, DHSA president Dr Raja Aftab said all the graduates of the de ‘Montmorrency College got paid house job at the Punjab Dental Hospital, while at the Nishtar only four graduates were paid the house job allowance out of 45 graduated from the Nisthar Medical College.

He said house surgeons were paid a monthly stipend of Rs6,210 at the Punjab Dental Hospital, while it was Rs3,860 for house surgeons at the Nishtar Hospital.

He said if the health department could not sanction/create more posts of paid house job, it should divide the available posts equally between the Punjab Dental College and the Nishtar Hospital besides giving the same stipend to house surgeons at both the institutes.

Dr Aftab said their association had sent several letters to the provincial health secretary for the redressal of their woes but to no avail. Letters were also sent to the governor, the health minister and the district Nazim.

Office-bearers of the DHSA said the apathetic response of the authorities had left no option for them except to move the court.

DHSA president Raja Aftab said a delegate of the association would try to meet the governor on April 12 on the eve of the Nishtar Medical College convocation.