Delay in promotions: Paramedics boycott anti-polio drive, to stage strike on 9th

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Paramedical Association on Monday announced a boycott of the forthcoming anti-polio campaign and holding a province-wide strike on March 9 in all the public sector hospitals of the province against what it called ‘unnecessary hurdles in their overdue promotions’ by the government.

The decision was taken at the provincial body meeting of the association chaired by its president Syed Roidar Shah.

The paramedics’ representatives expressed concern over the alleged delaying tactics of the provincial government and particularly the Health Department for their promotions.Syed Roidar Shah said they never wanted to take extreme step by suspending health services and cause problems to the patients but the government and particularly the bureaucracy had compelled them to go for such measures.

He said the government had in 2018 after long deliberations approved the upgrading of the paramedics scales but the bureaucracy was still creating hurdles for that. Syed Roidar Shah the paramedics unanimously decided to boycott the forthcoming anti-polio campaign in the province and hold a strike in all the public sector hospitals on March 9.

“We are tired of holding protest rallies and suspending services for our due rights but the government is not listening to us.