By Dr. Abdul Razak Shaikh,
For two days in Sindh different organization has announced three days OPD boycott from Monday to Wednesday. If their demands were not accepted then will also announce complete strike of all the Hospitals of the province. Today was the second day of OPD strike and definitely, poor people are suffering from the strike and Doctors Community knows this difficulty but due to Luke warm attitude of Health department, this situation has been caused.
Health is the basic right of the people of province and state responsible for the provision of quality basic Health care, which is accessible, affordable and acceptable.
In Pakistan allowances of Doctors are not same and Sindh is the only province, whose Doctors are getting very less amount of salary and allowances.
Doctors working in the remote area are facing very difficulties in the mean of the residential area and other issues causing to leave the rural areas of the province. The incentives are very low and facilities to the public are not better even supply of medicine for poor patients. Doctors of Health department raising their issues time to time but department role remains negative towards this noble profession.
On 31st March 2018, The Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan passed the orders in the Petition of Dr Muhammad Usman Mako to remove the grievances of Doctors. The Service Structure of doctors should be on basis of Time scale, the doctors of Sindh should be given pay and Health professional allowance in the same like other provinces. The contract Doctors working for the last four years must be regularized.
Implementation of orders of the Honourable court Dated.30th August 2017 regarding Proforma promotion of those Doctors retiring on 7th August 2015 till the date of Board I and Board II.
In a view of orders of Honourable Supreme court, The chief secretary Sindh has constituted the committee, Dated:12th April 2018 under the Chairmanship of Additional Secretary ( Admin) Health for various financial Benefits to Doctors of Health department but Still, no result found. The Doctors demand regarding financial benefit as like in other provinces.
Doctor’s old demand is to provide the TIME SCALE promotion as done in the education department but the health department is reluctant. Hundreds of Doctors retiring in BPS-18 and BPS-19 after performing their service for more than 25 years but they are not reaching till BPS-20, Whereas other cadre getting BPS-20 after 17 years of their services. This time again Health department refusing Time Scale promotion, whereas Honourable Supreme Court has passed an order.
Contract doctors are under the process of regularizing after passing the Regularization Act-2018 from Sindh Assembly but still, notification has been not issued.
As for as Proforma promotion of Doctors still Board I have not decided, Board II has partially done and still major Portion is pending.
Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) for Promotion of Doctors from BPS-17 to BPS-18 is still laying waiting and date has been not fixed. More than 2000 posts of Senior Medical Officers are vacant.
Near an about 700 Seats are vacant for promotion in BPS-19 for Board II but the department failed to submit the working paper.
Many issues are pending time to time in the health department but even they are not ready to comply the orders of Honourable Supreme Court.
Doctors are too much worried about their promotion, Allowances and other incentives but health department taking a very soft role.
These issues are causing unrest among Doctor Community and then their choice to go for Strike when bureaucracy is not willing to implement the orders of Honourable Supreme Court. PPP government always remains to help the Doctors but this bureaucracy wants to fail this government. Honourable Minister Health must look at the issues and Doctors community must get relief.
Now new Secretary Health has taken Charge today and hopes that he will implement the orders in the light of Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan.
