Doctors observe strike in N. Areas

GILGIT, Dec 24: Complete strike was observed by the doctors working in various hospitals and health units throughout Gilgit-Baltistan against what they called unfriendly attitude of the higher authorities of the Northern Areas administration.The President of Pakistan Medical Association, Gilgit-Baltistan, Dr Mohamamd Hanif said there was complete strike in hospitals and medical units and only emergency and indoor patients were treated.

He said the doctors of this part of the country were being discriminated as their pay scale had not been revised for decades.

He said a number of vacancies were created under presidential package which were supposed to be filled in by Dec 31 because after that these vacancies would be treated abolished under the law.

When contacted Secretary Health Suhain Saqlain he said there was no strike at all in any part of the region.

However, he said there were dialogues between administration and doctors which is being termed as strike.

He stated that Northern Area administration was making all out efforts to resolve their problems and redress their grievances.

He disclosed that a meeting of services department was scheduled to be held on December 26 in which cases for the promotion of doctors would be considered. Courtesy: Dawn