Pakistan : Pims employees postpone strike
ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: The employees of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Aug 23 postponed their strike on the assurance of Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development
Division (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.
The minister told the protesting employees that most of their concerns had been addressed in the proposed legislation which would be tabled in the National Assembly standing committee on cabinet on August 26.
It may be noted that on August 15 the chairman of the Pims restoration movement, Dr Asfandyar Khan, at a press conference announced that as a part of their protest the Out-Patient Department (OPD) of the hospital would be closed from August 22 until the hospital was separated from the university.
CADD minister assures protesters that the bill will be passed by NA standing committee on Aug 26
Because of the strike on Aug 22, a majority of patients coming to the hospital had to return without treatment. On Aug 23 morning, once again the employees started their protest and closed the OPD. Later, the minister visited the hospital and held a meeting with the representatives of the joint action committee of the protesting employees.
The minister also addressed the protesting employees and assured them that their interests would be safeguarded.
“There is a communication gap between the Pims employees and the management of the hospital as the government is already working on the same lines which the employees have been demanding.”
He said the university would be separated from the hospital and the employees of Pims would continue enjoying the civil servant status.
“Once Pims was among the best hospitals in the country and the PML-N government will make it a model hospital once again,” Dr Tariq said.
Dr Asfandyar later told Dawn that the strike was postponed to August 26 after the minister assured the employees that the bill, which had been tabled in parliament to separate the hospital from university, would be passed by the standing committee.
“On Aug 23, hundreds of doctors, nurses, paramedics, non-medical and other support staff from grade 1 to 20 recorded their protest. Representatives of doctors, nurses and paramedics from Polyclinic, CDA Hospital, Federal Hospital and NIRM also joined the protest,” he said.
“The minister had been in contact with us since Aug 22 evening and on Aug 22 he assured us that not only the bill would be passed by the standing committee on August 26 but it would also be tabled in the National Assembly in its forthcoming session starting from September 2.”
Dr Khan said on the request of the minister the employees agreed to postpone the protest till August 26 with the condition that if the bill was not cleared by the standing committee the protest would be resumed for an indefinite period.
Published by Daily Dawn on Aug 24, 2016
