ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Outdoor Patient Departments (OPDs) of all government hospital in the federal capital have been closed as the doctors and paramedical staff of Islamabad hospitals held protest on Tuesday against the freezing of health risk allowance.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) 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.
In order to protest register their protest against the freezing of the allowance, the doctors and paramedics of Islamabad hospitals including the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, (PIMS), National Institute of Health (NIH) and Capital Development Authority (CDA) hospitals among others today took out a rally towards the prime minister’s secretariat.
The protests said that they would continue to hold protest till the restoration of increment on health risk allowance.
Earlier 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 protests by the doctors and paramedics were also held in various cities across Punjab.
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.
