NWFP Paramedical Association has started four days token strike throughout the province against what they called the delaying tactics used by the government to announce service structure for them.
"More than 10,000 paramedics would observe token strike for four days, which would be followed by a phased-wise complete strike in different districts", said, Sirajuddin Burki provincial president of the Paramedics Association (PMA).
Paramedics at the city hospitals wore black armbands and hoisted banners and placards, inscribed with slogans, asking the government to announce service structure for them.
Burki told newsmen that the association tried its level best to avoid confrontation with the government, but they were compelled to do so, because of the step-motherly attitude of the government with them. According to him, paramedics along with doctors and nurses formed a tricycle, which provided health-care facilities to the people.
Doctors and nurses, he said had proper service structure, whereas the paramedics were appointed in BPS-6 and retired in same grade after serving for 30 years. Lack of service structure, he said had been causing problems for them, because of lack of promotion opportunities.
Burki said that they had been struggling for service structure since long. The MMA government, he said had promised the service structure for paramedics, but regretted that it had gone back on the commitment.
"One year ago, the government had said that an additional amount of Rs 15 million has been sanctioned for the service structure, but all such promises had proved to be hollow claims and nothing else", he said. With the existing service structure, he said the newcomers were hesitant to join the field, because they feared black future.
He said that four days token strike would be followed by complete strikes in district and agency headquarters hospitals and ultimately complete strike would be observed throughout the province to force the government into accepting their demand for service structure.
Burki announced that during the strike, emergency cover would be provided at the hospitals for the sake of critically ill patients. He said that it is injustice with the paramedics, who pass matriculation in grade A, do one-year-course and then pass the examination, but there are no chances of promotions for them.
He said that the paramedics, who worked in operation theatres, wards, X-ray and laboratories, also lacked protection against the infectious diseases. Most of the health workers, he said had been inflicted with hepatitis for the treatment of which they were running from pillar to post.
Comments
Comments are closed.