Islamabad: Pakistan: Medical Emergency Departments and Out Door Patient Departments (OPDs) in Islamabad government hospitals remained closed on Wednesday morning even after successful negotiations between doctors and the federal government to resolve Risk Allowance issue.
Islamabad hospitals including the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, (PIMS), National Institute of Health (NIH) and Capital Development Authority (CDA) hospitals were among others that refused to start services Emergency Department and OPDs on Wednesday morning.
Doctors informed Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency that protest suspension of services will continue till the time doctors will receive notification from government for reviving of Risk allowance.
It may be mentioned that Islamabad Police baton charged doctors and paramedical staff on Tuesday outside Prime Minister House (PM House) when a rally of doctors tried to reach PM House on Red Zone though no rally is allowed in Red Zone area of Pakistan where the parliament, Prime Minister House, Presidency and Supreme Court of Pakistan are situated.
Doctors and paramedical staff rally marched towards Prime Minister House to press their demands inducing release of health risk allowance. Rangers were summoned to disbursed the rally when doctors refused to stop their march towards PM House despite of baton charge over them.
The Outdoor Patient Departments (OPDs) of all government hospitals in the federal capital kept closed on Tuesday against the freezing of health risk allowance.
The government had approved the health risk allowance in 2012 however the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government froze the increment on the allowance in the current fiscal year.
It may be mentioned that on August 20 as well, the doctors and paramedical staff tried to march towards the prime minister’s secretariat against the freezing of increment on health risk allowance but the local administration and police thwarted their attempt by stopping them near Melody.
The health risk allowance was approved by the PPP government after a prolonged protest at D-Chowk Islamabad by the employees of the federal government hospitals due to their exposure to infectious diseases and viruses.
