Health department, ad hoc nurses talks inconclusive

The parleys between the ad-hoc nurses and the provincial health department remained inconclusive as the government could not oblige the nurses to regularise their services against the rules and regulations. The meeting was attended by the Director General Health Dr Zahid Pervaiz, Additional Secretary Health Khawar Kamal, Deputy Secretary Health Raja Mansoor Ahmed, and the DG Nursing Rukhsana Kamal.
An official privy to the meeting told APP on Sunday that the talks stalked due to the imprudent stance of the nurses representatives who want to be regularised without appearing for the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), adding that the nurses announced to observe strike on March 10 (Monday).
The provincial health department officer claimed that the demands of the ad-hoc nurses were not genuine and lawful as all vacancies of the nurses (BS-16) are filled through the PPSC and services of the ad-hoc employees could not be regularised without fulfilling the lawful modalities.
He said it was unjust to regularise the striking nurses as they did not come from the 45 nursing schools who sign a bond with the government to serve the provincial hospitals for at least four years. He said the government spends about 5 lakh rupees on every nurse as they are paid a stipend of Rs 11,100 per month during the 4-year nursing course at the public sector nursing schools.
The source said presently 7,000 nurses from these schools are unemployed while the striking 160 ad-hoc nurses have graduated from other provinces or private institutions who managed their appointments stealthily in the past.
In the meanwhile the secretary Health has ordered the meeting of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) to be held as per schedule on March 24 to discuss the promotion cases of the nurses.
The Secretary Health has ordered to move a requisition for the 1,500 posts of the nurses to be filled through the PPSC.
The Secretary Health has also ordered to create new posts of the Head Nurses in order to generate more vacancies of the nurses to provide jobs to the unemployed nurses.