PESHAWAR: Health workers across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Wednesday protested against the proposed merger of Pakistan Allied Health Professionals Council with Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council and demanded of the federal government to review its plan.

In Peshawar, the members of KP’s Paramedical Association held a protest demonstration outside Peshawar Press Club. The protesters, led by provincial president Anwar Khan and other office bearers, were holding banners and placards inscribed with their demands and also shouted slogans against the proposed merger.

The speakers said that the health workers were regularly serving millions of patients in the country but the government was least bothered to resolve their issues. They said that many representatives’ bodies were working in the country in the health sector including nursing council, pharmacy council, homeopathic medical council and others and their health professionals council should also be allowed to continue the same way.

“We, paramedics are working day and night in medical facilities across the country but the government is not ready to recognise our services,” the speakers complained. They feared that due to government’s policies, not only the paramedics but the nursing cadre would also face serious difficulties in the future.

In Bajaur, paramedics staged a protest demonstration against government’s plan to merge allied health professionals council in nursing council.

Scores of paramedics, working in different governmental health facilities including district headquarters hospital Khar participated in the demonstration held outside the Bajaur Press Club.

The protesting health workers refused to accept the government’s proposed plan to merge allied health professionals council into nursing council.

Bajaur Paramedical Association president Dost Mohammad, general secretary Haji Slahudin and others pointed out that the government had planned to merge paramedical staff of all the state-run health facilities into Nursing Council, which were not in their interest.

They urged the government to withdraw its proposed plan and warned to launch a massive protest movement if the disputed proposal was not cancelled immediately.

Meanwhile, paramedics’ association staged a rally in front of the Timergara Press Club, Lower Dir against the merger of Pakistan Allied Health Professionals Council with the nursing council.

Addressing the rally, the association’s president Matiullah, general secretary Gauhar Ali and others demanded of the federal government to reverse the decision.

They alleged the government under the IMF pressure was taking the decision in haste in the name of rightsising and downsising. They said that decades’ old council was being merged into a newly-established council putting the future of three million employees in jeopardy.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2024