Paramedics in Mardan threaten to boycott anti-polio campaign

MARDAN: The office-bearers of the Paramedical Association on Saturday threatened to boycott the upcoming anti-polio campaign if the government did not fulfil their demands.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the office-bearers of the Paramedical Association with district president Fazal Qayyum in the chair.

Addressing the meeting, speakers said that despite repeated assurances from officials of the provincial government and the health department about the approval of upgradation of paramedics, the authorities failed to fulfil their promise so far.

They added that most senior paramedics had been waiting for the last 30 to 35 years for promotion. They said that they retired in pay scale-12, terming this an injustice.

They said that paramedics had announced a schedule for protests, adding, there would be a strike of paramedics in all small and big hospitals of Mardan district on March 9, 2021. However, emergency cover would be given during the strike and on the same day all paramedics will stage a sit-in in front of the offices of the director general health services in Peshawar.

They added that all staff including women would participate in the protest and if their demands were not met they would boycott the upcoming polio campaign.