ABBOTTABAD: Staff members of the Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) Abbottabad will boycott duty today (Tuesday) against the newly promulgated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Institution Reforms Act 2015.

Except emergency cover, all out-door patient departments, laboratories, operation theatres and radiology department will remain closed during the day.

This was announced by the All Employees Coordination Council, ATH chapter, after a meeting of the Nursing Staff Association, Technical Staff Association, Para Medical Staff Association, Pakistan Clerks Association and Para Medical Association (class IV) at the hospital here on Monday. All Employees Coordination Council patron-in-chief Habibur Rehman Shah and president Abid Jadoon told reporters that though the government had made big claims about revamping health sector in the province, no tangible improvement had taken place at Ayub Teaching Hospital during the two years of its formation.

Flanked by Nursing Staff Association president Javed Khan, Pakistan Clerks Association president Shamsur Rehman and representatives of the coordination council, he questioned the visit of the new law’s architect to the hospital, saying Dr Nosherwan Burki holds no government office, so his role in the ATH affairs is beyond understanding.

He said the health department had continuously been interfering in the ATH autonomy over appointments, promotions and day-to-day affairs. “Our All Employees’ Coordination Council has decided to hold one-day strike at the hospital to protest the controversial health reforms act, which has made employees of the hospital feeling insecure,” he said.

Shah demanded the immediate withdrawal of the government’s decision to create surplus pool for health employees.

He said the ATH staff would decide about future strategy following the provincial employees’ coordination council meeting slated to take place in Peshawar today (Tuesday).

Meanwhile, People’s Doctors Forum Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesman Dr Daud Iqbal criticised the health structure in the province and said billions of rupees had been allocated for the health sector annually but people were not provided with free treatment and medical facilities by the government hospitals.

Dr Daud told reporters here that there was no provision of surplus pool in the Health Reforms Act 2015 but health managers in Peshawar had annoyed thousands of health employees just for nothing and had created embarrassing situation for the government.

He said PDF would join hands with other stakeholders in the province if the health department didn’t review its existing policies, which were not only adversely affecting doctors but also went against the people’s welfare.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play