February 11 was a day of merriment for all of us as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted us a tremendous respite while declaring presidential ordinance of Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) “null and void”, but all hopes glooming as government seems not bothered to comply with the orders and keeping us without restoration and payment of salaries for five months is also one of the worst examples of humiliation of humanity.
This was said by Rana Salamat Ali who is physically disabled and had been worked as a peon for 10 years in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). Like around 220 other employees of the council, Ali also becomes victim of PMC ordinance promulgated by President Dr Arif Alvi in October last year. Subsequently the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) take over the PMDC building overnight and asked for suspension of the services of the council employees.
On that day of agony, Ali recalled, we were unable to understand where to go and whom to approach to seek help in this regard?
After mutual deliberation, the employees challenged the ordinance in the IHC while the court suspended the ordinance accordingly and directed for restoration of PMDC and services of its employees. But compliance yet seems distance dreams, which is accelerating the hardships of these employees. The NHS spokesperson Sajid Shah says the ministry is waiting for division bench verdict.
In a video message, Ali revealed that after job suspension he had started selling fruits and vegetables on a makeshift stall to earn bread and butter for his three children and elderly mother.
“But like thousand other laborers of the country, I am not even able to go out and earn money due to Covid-19, as I am the sole breadwinner of the house”, he said, adding that “my family and I are starving; it would be better to die of Covid-19 than see children die from hunger”.
Another employee of the council Sara Nasir narrated that at the difficult time from which the country is passing through, we (PMDC employees) can extend duty with full spirit.
“Where Prime Minister Imran Khan is asking for formulation of youth task force, why not us? why not the professional doctors who are screaming to get their provisional licenses issued”, Sara questioned in a distressing tone.
She requested that whosoever is holding ‘live sessions with PM Imran Khan please ask him that ego never bigger than humanity. “We don’t want mercy or help we want our due rights”, she pleaded.
Sara further explained that there are almost 5000 doctors waiting to get their provisional licenses, and more than 15000 doctors in list license renewals, but as the regulator body (PMDC) is closed for almost two months.
“Imran Khan sb for God sake don’t waste time on practices like task force”, Sara advises instead of this, she added, make functional this regulatory body it has professional capacity which will prove more useful while performing in such challenging time of the nation.
Zubair Bhutto who has been worked with PMDC for 15 years says he didn’t receive any salary because he took a loan last year that was deducted from his pay.
He said he has parents, a widowed sister and two children to feed. “Why the PM Imran Khan was not taking notice of the situation (PMDC employees’ issue) if he is concerned about labourers and daily-wage employees in real means”, Bhutto asked in poignant voice.
In another video message, veteran PMDC Registrar retired Brig Hafizuddin Siddiqui said that around 250 PMDC employees lost their jobs and currently their families are suffering.
“It is alas very painful to see 250 families crying and suffering. What does Covid-19 have to do with them when they are already dying of hunger”, he asked.
Siddiqui recalled that the PMDC was a very prestigious organisation and the only body to regulate the medical and dental fraternity, but has now been ruined.
