Special Assistant to Prime Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Zafar Mirza on Friday formally approved the raise in the allowances of regular nurses and increase in stipend of student nursing staff of federal government hospitals.
A ceremony in this regard was held at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) to hand over the notification issued by the Ministry of National Health Services with the approval of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
As per the notification, the prime minister has approved the increase in allowance of regular nurses in BS-16 and above and stipend of diploma student nurses. Regular nurses will now get mess allowance of Rs 8,000 against previous Rs 500, while they will now get Rs 3,000 against Rs 600 as dress allowance.
Similarly, the government has also increased the stipend of diploma student nurses from Rs 6,860 to Rs 20,000 per month. The new approved rates will become effective from July 1.
Addressing the ceremony, Dr Zafar Mirza said the government had approved the longstanding demand of nurses of the federal government and made their allowances at par with the nurses working in provinces.
He said that with the increase of allowance and stipend, the government would bear additional expenditure of Rs 228.547 million.
He said that nurses were the backbone of health system and without their active role, the plan of government to make reforms in the health sector was not possible. He added that the government was committed to making improvements to the nursing sector and this step was just an initial effort to encourage them for improving their services.
He urged nursing staff to work with dedication and commitment to serve the humanity. He said that the ministry was striving to make the health sector as per wishes of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He added the government was successfully working on health sector reforms agenda to ensure provision of best medical services to country’s people.
