LAHORE, May 8: Scores of paramedics lodged a protest on May 7 outside Chief Minister’s House followed by a complete strike at public hospitals of the city.
Gathered under the banner of the Punjab Paramedics Alliance (Class-IV), they staged a sit-in for five hours or so outside CM’s House near 7-Club Road and demanded a service structure.
Earlier, the paramedics observed a complete strike in all departments of teaching hospitals including outdoor, indoor, laboratories, operation theatres etc.
The patients particularly suffered owing to the unavailability of diagnostic services as the agitating paramedics had locked the departments before leaving for CM’s House.
As a result of the protest, operations were delayed and patients requiring ultrasound, X-rays, MRI, CT Scan and PCR tests returned disappointed.
The administrations of public sector hospitals mostly remained indifferent to the plight of the poor ailing people; some of them visited private labs.
The hours-long sit-in disrupted traffic on The Mall and other adjoining roads. The protesting paramedics were carrying banners inscribed with slogans in favour of service structure.
Addressing the gathering, PPA Chairman Malik Munir said the Punjab government was focusing on the demands of the young doctors only.
“This discrimination has forced the lower-cadre employees of the health department to launch agitation till their demands are not met.”
He said paramedics would continue to observe a complete strike at state-run institutions all over the province.
Malik Munir said May 12 would be observed as black day as the chief minister had promised on the same day last year that the government would bring all paramedics under a service structure.
No government representative visited the protest site for negotiations with the representatives of paramedics who later returned disappointed.
Paramedics of allied hospitals stage protest
RAWALPINDI, May 7: The paramedical staff of the city’s three allied hospitals here on May 7 staged a demonstration and asked the government to improve the service structure of hospital employees from BPS-1 to 4 and regularise the services of daily wagers.
More than 100 employees gathered at District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital and brought out a rally to Fawara Chowk. The protesters led by Chaudhry Khayyam, Malik Shakeel, Raja Abid and Sheikh Nasir were chanting slogans in favour of their demands.
The protesters staged demonstration at the main square for 20 to 30 minutes and then ended the protest peacefully.
Speaking to the gathering, the leaders urged the government to improve the service structure of low-grade employees of these hospitals.
They said the government was paying attention to solve the problems of doctors but paid no heed to the issues faced by the paramedical staff.
They said more than 600 employees had been working in the three government-run hospitals of the city for the last seven years and “government should regularise their services now.”
They announced the whole paramedical staff of the three hospitals would wear black arm bands for the next three days to register their peaceful protest.
Published by Daily Dawn on May 8, 2012