SWABI: The staff of the Tehsil Headquarters Hospitals, Topi and Chota Lahor, here on Wednesday went on a strike against the non-payment of October salary.

The protesting staffers, including doctors and paramedics, said government officials’ failure to honour their numerous pledges to release their salary on time forced them to observe strike.

The staffers reached their offices, but decided not to attend to the duties, and vowed to continue protesting till their pending salary was released.

The doctors said they were serving the ailing humanity, but didn’t get salary on time amid record inflation.

Fazal Hakeem, district president of paramedics’ association, said that it was very difficult for them to survive without salary in a period of high inflation.

The protesting staff of the two health units kept the outpatient departments closed, forcing critical patients to seek treatment at private clinics.

Inam Khan, a resident of Topi city, said doctors at private hospitals charged them over Rs50,000 for handling delivery case.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the staff of Bacha Khan Hospital Complex, Shahmansoor, has also not been paid the October salary.

TWO INJURED: Two people were injured when the car they were travelling in veered off the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway and fell into a ditch on Wednesday, rescue officials said.

They told Dawn that the injured were identified as Wazir Khan and Ghafoor Khan, both belonging to Nowshera district. They were taken to Bacha Khan Hospital Complex, Shahmansoor.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2023