Future plan to be announced on February 12

Islamabad : Distraught by the government’s strategy of “offering verbal assurances to temporarily appease” their concerns, the All Employees PIMS Restoration Moment (AEPRM) Thursday expressed serious reservations over the Special Assistant on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza’s act of submitting the old version of the MTI Bill to the Ministry of Law, with their recommendations being completely disregarded.

“Dr. Zafar himself invited us to the negotiation table, sought our comments, and even agreed to the recommendations that we offered, but he has sent the same of old version of the MTI Bill to the Ministry of Law for vetting. We not only condemn this action but will also resist such tactics. We will announce our future plan of action in a press conference to be convened on February 12,” AEPRM’s spokesman Dr. Asfandyar Khan stated in an emergency meeting of AEPRM here at PIMS on Thursday.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Young Consultants Association, Young Doctors Association, Officers Association, PIMS Nursing Association, Paramedical Association, and Non-Gazetted Employees Association. “We vow to reject the MTI Act, come what may, and will continue to struggle to render it ineffective. Our reaction on the MTI Act and other issues on which we have Dr. Zafar’s assurances will be stronger than ever before,” Muhammad Sadaqat Awan stated.

AEPRM representatives also recollected Secretary Health’s visit to PIMS, where he promised an increase in the salaries of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, along with other relief measures including restoration of Health Professionals Allowance, and approval of service structure. “Not a single promise has been fulfilled so far. In fact, hurdles are being created in the way of promotions,” they flagged.

The meeting also expressed concern over a new Executive Director being appointed in PIMS every other day; they alleged that this is being done to demonstrate that the institution is falling apart, is inefficient, and non-functional. “All this is being done to pave the way for introduction of MTI,” they alleged.

The participants pledged to stay united in their stance, as they have been in the past, and promised to take any extreme measure for the protection of their rights. They accused the Ministry of Health of conspiring to disintegrate the institution.