PIMS protesters end strike as govt agrees to amend MTI Ord

ISLAMABAD: The government acceded to all demands of the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) vis-à-vis amendments to the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Ordinance here Monday after a successful round of parleys, held on the 71st day of the ongoing protest at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

The decision was taken at a pre-scheduled meeting between the GHA leadership and the PM’s Special Assistant on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, Secretary Health, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of PIMS Dr Humayun Mohmand, who played a defining role in having the matter resolved.

Dr Faisal will visit PIMS today (Tuesday) to officially announce the government’s decision at the hospital’s protest ground, where celebrations marking the successful conclusion of the medical community’s struggle have also been planned. “All our demands have been met. We have been assured that the MTI Ordinance will be amended in the light of our reservations before it takes the shape of an Act,” said GHA’s Chairman Dr Asfandyar, who had been in the forefront of the protest for over two months.

Dr Asfandyar said, the government has agreed to replace the term “body corporate” with “autonomous body” with reference to PIMS. “Moreover, we have been assured that a civil servant who does not exercise the option of MTI will remain a civil servant and will be considered as employee of an attached department in Schedule III of the federal government under the Civil Servant Act 1973. He will be entitled to all perks, pension, gratuity, housing, monetisation, health facilities and other privileges declared by the federal government from time to time,” he said.

Dr Asfandyar informed that the government has also agreed that civil servants shall be entitled to any MTI post for which they are eligible under MTI rules and regulations, and that such eligibility will continue for 10 years.

They will also be eligible to hold the positions of chairman and heads of department in line with the criteria for these provisions in the MTI regulations, he added.