CHAGAI:Syed Ehsan Shah, Minister for Health, has said that the strike of doctor near red zone area of the provincial capital was not correct.
Addressing a news conference here on Wednesday, he said government acceded to all other demands of Young Doctors Association with the exception of increasing the pay of doctors as government did not have funds to shoulder the extra burden of Rs 7 billion per year in case pay of doctors was increased. He said that doctors were drawing salaries despite the fact they were on strike.
He said that strike of the doctors had added to the miseries of the people of the province. Shah said, “Presently grade-17 Assistant Commissioner is drawing fifty thousand rupees per month while doctor in the same grades draws seventy thousand rupees per month”. He said that the strike of YDA and Paramedics staff near red zone area of the provincial capital was not correct, adding that parleys with YDA would continue.
On the other hand, spokesperson for YDA, Dr. Hafeez in a statement said that YDA would stage a protest sit-in on red-zone area of Quetta at any cost to get the demands of YDA entertained, adding that if authorities did not accede to the genuine demands of YDA, call for long march on Islamabad would be given.
It is pertinent to mention that the bid of Young Doctors Association (YDA) and Paramedical Staff Association (PSA), Balochistan to proceed to red zone area of Quetta for staging a protest sit-in was foiled by the police at Anscomb Road, Quetta. 20 doctors were arrested while a few sustained injuries after police stormed the rally of YDA and PSA.