Paramedics’ strike troubles patients in Lahore

LAHORE: The paramedical staff and health support staff of teaching hospitals under the banner of Punjab Paramedical Alliance (PPA) held a rally and staged a sit-in at the Club Chowk in front of the CM’s Secretariat on Monday for service structure, regularisation and health professional allowance.
The paramedics, following in the YDA’s footsteps, inflicted pain on patients in hospitals and general public on the main thoroughfare of the provincial metropolis. The paramedics are trying to pressurise the government by boycotting duties in hospitals and blocking The Mall.
The paramedics’ strike caused a great deal of problems for patients in hospitals as they withdrew services from OPDs and operation theatres. The poor patients coming from far-off districts were the worst-affected. PPA Chairman Malik Munir said the services had been withdrawn from outdoor wards, indoor wards and operation theatres.
Earlier, the paramedics and health support staff from all over the Punjab reached the Club Chowk to stage a sit-in. The PPA leaders said the Punjab government had not given service structure to grade-1 to grade-4 employees, while implementation on promised service structure of grade-5 to grade-17 paramedics was stopped.