SZH paramedics call off strike

LAHORE
The paramedics of Sheikh Zayed Hospital have called off their protest for two weeks subject to fulfillment of their complete demands, as according to them, the Health Department and hospital administration only fulfilled half of their demands.
“We will resume protest for fulfillment of our demands after two weeks if the government didn’t meet our demands within this period,” said Nasiruddin, general-secretary of Allied Health Organization, SZH, while speaking at a press conference on Thursday at the culmination of 39th day protest in the hospital against privatisation of the hospital through Board of Trustees. The Medical Teachers Association (MTA-SZH) representatives Prof Dr Nauman and Prof Dr Ajmal Naqvi, and Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) representative Dr Izhar Ch also accompanied the paramedics during the press conference.
Nasiruddin said that the government had not accepted their major demand of withdrawing its policy to run the hospital through Board of Trustees, demanding issuance of notification of formation of Board of Governors and removal of Chairman SZH from his post within two weeks. He said that the government has fulfilled their demands including provision of three months’ arrears of HPS allowance, implementation on service structure, up-gradation of grade-4 employees, implementation on departmental promotions of all cadres, permission to employees to apply for new recruitments, nomination of Ms Riffat for negotiation on service structure for nurses and no victimisation against the paramedics and nurses of the hospital.
While paramedics observed strike in the hospital on Thursday, Nasiruddin said that the paramedics will resume their work in the hospital on Friday (today).
Course: A course on “Ornamental Fish Culture” is scheduled to be held at Fisheries Research & Training Institute Lahore from 2nd November to 4th November 2015.
This was stated by Director General Fisheries Punjab Dr Muhammad Ayub, here Thursday. The course is for women only. During the course, participants will be trained in the culture practices of important ornamental fish and making of the aquaria, which will enable them to start fisheries business (cottage industry) of aquarium making and breeding of ornamental fish at small scale.
He said that main objective of the training course was to enable womenfolk to earn their living by themselves and play their active role in the society. He said that the prospective participants were required to register themselves with the Director Fisheries, Research & Training Institute, Wagah Road opposite Police Station Manawan, Lahore on 2nd November, at 9am. He said that participants would be provided free boarding facility. Prospective participants could contact on 042-36522895-6 for further information.