‘Law Department to be consulted for revision of MTI Ordinance’

Islamabad:The government has principally agreed to the demands of the Federal Grand Health Alliance (FGHA) and has assured that the Law Department would soon be consulted for necessary amendments to the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Ordinance so that their reservations are duly addressed.

The PM’s Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr. Faisal Sultan extended the assurance during an interaction with the FGHA leadership at his office here on Monday.

“Dr. Faisal conceded that our demands are 100 percent genuine. He said, the government has given a serious thought to all issues raised by the protesting employees of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), and it will consult the Law Department to determine how our demands can be incorporated into the Ordinance to our satisfaction,” the Chairman of FGHA Dr. Asfandyar shared after the meeting. Dr. Asfandyar quoted Dr. Faisal as saying that the government agrees that the civil service status of PIMS employees, as well as their perks and privileges, should remain unaffected.

While the government takes its time to have the Ordinance amended or revoked, as the case may be, the FGHA has decided to continue its protest. “We were neither asked us to call off the strike, nor did we make any commitment to that effect,” Dr. Asfandyar said, adding “We will march towards the Parliament on December 31, as planned.”

Earlier in the day, former federal minister for CADD Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudry visited the PIMS protest ground and assured the protestors that he would use all his energies to get the MTI Ordinance reverted and to have the original status of PIMS restored. “Let me assure you that your concerns will be raised and discussed in National Assembly and Senate as well,” he said.

The Deputy Mayor of Islamabad Zeeshan Naqvi and chairmen of different Union Councils of Islamabad also visited PIMS to announce their support. They said, they would accompany the protestants in their march towards the Parliament. Leaders of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Including Dr. Hyder Abbasi, Dr. Faiz Achakzai, and Dr. Tariq Khan, among many others, also addressed the crowd.