LAHORE, Nov 5: Negotiations between representatives of the Punjab government and doctors over the medics service structure were deadlocked on Monday over two issues.

The marathon meeting started at 8am and continued till 11.45pm.

Health special secretary Babar Hayat Tarrar and establishment additional secretary Asfandyar participated in the meeting from the government side while Dr Amer Bandesha and Rai Ahmad from YDA Punjab, Dr Izhar Chaudhry and Dr Tanveer Ahmad from Pakistan Medical Association and Dr Masood Sheikh from General Cadre Doctors Association.

An insider said the doctors and the government representatives showed flexibility in their stance and almost reached consensus on all the 40 demands for the finalization of draft for service structure except two.

He said there was no progress regarding two most controversial demands which had led to a deadlock earlier as well. They are FCPS allowance and termination of ad hoc doctors.

He said the doctors were demanding FCPS allowance of Rs10,000 per month (per doctor) while the government officials who had earlier absolutely rejected this demand, had agreed to give Rs5,000.

Similarly, he said the doctors were demanding termination of all those ad hoc doctors who were recruited during last 37-day-long major strike at public hospitals of the province.

The government officials were of the view that the termination of over 400 ad hoc doctors, including female medics, would leave adverse financial impact on them and their families.

He further quoted the government official as having said that termination would also shake confidence of ad hoc doctors on the government.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique said the over 400 ad hoc doctors had discharged duties when hundreds of regular young medics had left the patients at the mercy of paramedics and nurses in the name of strike.

“The government would not make these doctors jobless at any cost”, he said. Talking about the other controversial demand of FCPS allowance, he said the decision would be taken in the light of available financial resources.