(MENAFN- Tribal News Network) Aftab Mohmand
In response to the Provincial Doctors Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's call for action, Trainee Medical Officers and House Officers have initiated a duty boycott at Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC).
Officials from the organization have indicated that while the boycott currently affects this particular hospital, their ongoing protest actions, which began at Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar yesterday and Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar the day before, may expand to encompass hospitals across the entire province in the coming weeks.
Dr. Amir Taj, President of the Provincial Doctors Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, explained that their protest in support of various demands has been active throughout the province for the past two weeks.
Nevertheless, today, house officers and trainee medical officers refrained from offering OPD services at Hayatabad Medical Complex. Simultaneously, demonstrations took place in hospitals throughout the province.
Doctors at Hayatabad Medical Complex are presently providing only elective services. Meanwhile, senior doctors will continue performing their duties across all departments for the time being. The protest and boycott action may subsequently extend to two other major hospitals in Peshawar and potentially to hospitals province-wide in the near future.
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Dr. Amir Taj emphasized that their primary demand is to raise the stipends of house officers and trainee medical officers by 50%. These stipends have remained unchanged for the past five years. The doctors' organization has officially submitted their demands in writing to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Health Advisor, Caretaker Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and Health Secretary. However, despite three months having passed, the caretaker government has yet to issue any summary in response.
Among their additional demands are the implementation of the Security Act 2020, job security for faculty in MTI hospitals, promotions in accordance with PMDC rules, the reinstatement of posts for civil servant doctors in MTI hospitals, and civil servant appointments, as well as requests for transparency in posting transfers.
Amir Taj further stressed that the current caretaker provincial government bears the responsibility of addressing their demands. It holds the authority to promptly issue a summary. While doctors are refraining from an immediate, complete boycott of all hospital services due to their concern for patient care, they have warned that unless the government swiftly accedes to their demands, they may expand their protest and boycott actions to include elective services throughout the province. Senior doctors in the province may likewise suspend their services, with the caretaker government and the health department held accountable for any patient-related issues that arise as a result.
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