Paramedics accuse Health Dept of foot-dragging

Resolution of problems

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Paramedics Association expressed concern over what they termed negative attitude of the provincial Health Department towards resolution of their problems and warned of taking steps if the authorities didn’t change their attitude.

The paramedics held a meeting in Peshawar where divisional heads from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata were present.They resented the latest decision of the Health Department of preventing health technician of administering injections to patients in all the health institutions of the province.

It was decided that paramedics would not administer injection to patients as a protest over notification of the Health Department that reportedly stopped technicians from administering injection to patients.

The paramedics had postponed strike in all the medical and health institutions of the province from February 22 and agreed to resolve issues with the government through negotiations.

The office-bearers of the Paramedics Association from across the province held its meeting in Peshawar on Sunday. They expressed concern over failure of the provincial government in resolving a long-longstanding issue of half service structure.

They also voiced concern for not approving the Health Professional Allowance for paramedics and honoring the promise about resolving issues related to the People’s Primary Health Initiative (PPHI).

The paramedics said Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had agreed to cancel all transfer orders of the employees, including office-bearers of paramedics.However, they complained that the transfer orders hadn’t been cancelled.

They said that all of them had been transferred to remote areas of the province.The paramedics said they would avoid any confrontation with the government and would continue provision of services to patients. They had formed 11-member committee for holding talks with the government.

Luqman Gul has been made head of the committee while Sharafatullah Yousafzai, Paramedics Association president from Mardan, Afsar Zaman, Divisional president Bannu, and others are supposed to work as committee members.