The paramedics working in federal hospitals on Monday threatened to launch a countrywide strike if the government did not implement the decision with regard to their service structure in a month. The government had approved the service structure for over 1800 paramedics, working in different federal hospitals on June 8, 2010, but the decision has not been implemented despite lapse of nine months.
Talking to reporters, all Pakistan Paramedical Staff Federation (APPSF), expressed serious concern over non-implementation of the decision, warning the government of strike if their demands were not met within a month. During a protest demonstration, the office-bearers of the Federation said the federal secretary health had approved the service structure on June 8, 2010, but some elements in the health ministry are blocking its implementation.
"The attitude of some health ministry officials is badly affecting the performance of paramedics and we have no other option but to launch massive protests including token hunger strike," federation's secretary general Arshad Khan, press secretary Muhammad Anas, President JPMC Karachi Gul Saeed, chairman PIMS Rana Ghulam Ahmed and others said.
They said nobody could deny the vital role of paramedical staff in extending health services to patients but they have been working in the same pay scales for last 15 to 25 years. Arshad Khan, secretary general APPSF said due to lack of uniform pay structure, paramedics are still working in different pay scales in various parts of the country.
"For example, sanitary inspectors are working in BPS-6, BPS-12, and BPS-16 in different hospitals having the same qualification. "Paramedics are being unjustly treated. In the 60s paramedics and nurses were recruited in BS-5. At present nurses are working in BS-16 and can go upto BPS-20. But paramedics are still working in BPS-9 with the same or even higher qualification. While a separate directorate, council and board have been set up for nurses, we have been denied all these. We are not against their benefits, but want that we are also treated at par with them," he added.
"Paramedics appointed as dispensers, radiographers, operation theatre technicians, lab technicians, dental technicians and paramedical tutors were retired in the same pay scale until now. Their service structures have been approved in the four provinces except in federal institutions, but these have not been fully implemented. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has implemented the service structure, but only partially. We demand that the structure be implemented in its entirety so as to provide opportunities of promotion to paramedics' upto BPS 20," he said.
"The female medical technicians and LHVs and male dispensers/technicians are practically running the government dispensaries in dangerous and far off rural areas," said Arshad. The paramedics appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and Health Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin to take interest in the matter and direct the authorities concerned to remove grievances of paramedical staff by giving final approval to the service structure.
They made it clear that paramedics all over the country were united and would not hesitate to give any kind of sacrifice to secure their rights. "We pin high hopes on the democratically elected government of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) that it must step up efforts to resolve the problems faced by the paramedics, who are playing a very important role in providing health services to people," they said.