ISLAMABAD: Employees of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) handed over their demands to Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CDA Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan during their meeting with him on Tuesday.

The demands were related to amendments to the Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Ordinance. They announced that their protest and discontinuation of services would continue till the ordinance was withdrawn.

The ordinance, which was promulgated by President Dr Arif Alvi last month, suggested that the hospital would be run through board of governors (BoG).

A large number of employees had suspended services except at the coronavirus and emergency wards.

On Monday, the employees held a meeting with Mr Awan and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan after which it was decided that they would provide written proposals.

Grand Health Alliance Chairman Dr Asfandyar Khan told Dawn on Tuesday that they met MNA Ali Nawaz Awan and a document was handed over to him in which all demands of the employees were mentioned.

“We told Mr Awan that we had no objection on the MTI. We just want the status of our jobs to remain intact. We should not be deprived of the right to pension, gratuity, health facilities, promotion, housing and other service and post retirement benefits,” he said.

Dr Khan said the employees also said Pims should be kept in schedule III so that employees would not be forced to leave the hospital.

“Mr Awan agreed with our proposals and said he would convey them to Special Assistant Dr Sultan. We suggested that the BoG should be headed by a vice chancellor of a university and there should be one retired professor in the BoG. We also demanded that the vacant posts, which are filled through promotions, should not be abolished or filled through MTI. Employees should be given health and health-risk allowances even after MTI and should continue to hold posts of head of departments. Ministry of National Health Services should also establish a board of arbitration for MTI and members be appointed by ministries of health and law. Moreover retired judge, having experience of 25 years, should be a board member,” Dr Khan said.

Another doctor of Pims Dr Hyder Abbasi said they were glad that the government had started dialogue and hoped the ordinance would be withdrawn.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2020