Legislation to be made to regularise contractual doctors: Prime Minister

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said that legislation would be made to regularise the services of all contractual medical officers under a new service structure announced by him the other day in the National Assembly. The Prime Minister was talking to media persons outside Parliament House where he arrived especially to welcome a rally of doctors of federal capital hospitals.
Unlike past, the doctors were brought in the premises of the Parliament House in a rally, chanting slogans in favour of the Prime Minister and the President. It is pertinent to mention here that it was for the first time that the Prime Minister appeared outside the Parliament House to talk to media persons and to receive the doctors' rally.
Gilani said that the new package for the doctors was designed to provide them better facilities so that they could serve the masses. He said a committee has been constituted to improve the service structure, which would submit its report within 15 days, adding that the package has specially focused on career progression unlike the past when the doctors rarely got promotion.
For the contract doctors, he said, legislation would be made for their regularisation, adding it would help the doctors to remain in the country instead of going abroad. Besides, he said, the package would provide the doctors job security and ensure regular promotion in their career, adding that a huge non-practising allowance would also be provided to the doctors under the new service structure.
When asked that some of the doctors have not accepted the package, Gilani said that all have agreed and added that the government was ready to initiate talks with them if they wanted further deliberations. The Prime Minister on Monday announced an improved career structure for doctors and health professionals in the National Assembly. Talking on the occasion, Secretary Health Nargis Sathi said none of the doctors have rejected the package rather all agreed to it.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan said that the package was meant for all professionals not for a group. She said that the package would ensure their promotions in higher grades. The doctor appointed in grade -17 will not retire in the same grade now. She also rejected the impression that the package would help a particular group of doctors, saying that they have protected the medical profession and not a particular group.