The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a 15 per cent increase in the salaries and stipends of doctors and trainees who continued performing their duties during a strike at government hospitals.
Under the decision, doctors who did not participate in the strike will receive a 15 per cent increase in their salaries, while medical trainees who continued working during the protest will be entitled to a 15 per cent increase in their stipends.
The Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) has sought lists of medical officers who performed their duties during the strike. Medical teaching institutions have been directed to submit lists of eligible trainees within two days.
The lists must include the names of the trainees, their respective departments, training levels and the dates on which they began their duties. The names of the supervisors of trainees who worked during the strike must also be included.
The PGMI has further instructed the relevant institutions to ensure that information regarding trainees’ attendance and duty during the strike is verified by the chairpersons of their respective departments.
According to the provincial Health Department, only those trainees who performed their duties during the strike will qualify for the additional 15 per cent stipend.
However, the additional stipend for trainees who did not perform their duties during the strike will remain withheld until the dispute is resolved.
The decision comes after protests and a strike by doctors at government hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which prompted the provincial government to announce financial incentives for those who continued providing medical services.
The submission and verification of the lists will determine which doctors and trainees qualify for the increase. Medical teaching institutions have been asked to complete the process within the stipulated timeframe.
The government’s decision links eligibility for the additional financial benefit to attendance and duty performance during the strike, while the payment issue for trainees who remained absent will be settled after the dispute is resolved.