A thousand signature campaign will be started from tomorrow:GCDA

Lahore: A thousand signature campaign will be started from tomorrow, to get service structure finalized, and it will be taken as referendum by doctors community, this was decided in the provincial council meeting of General Cadre Doctor Association (GCDA) Punjab, held on the issue of service structure here at Lahore. While addressing the council meeting GCDA President Dr Masood Akhtar sheikh said, that service structure is a important documents for doctor’s community and all efforts shall be made to make it at par national and international demands. He said that the thousand signature campaign has started from Lahore and will spread to all the districts of Punjab, this will be an opportunity to build consensus regarding the general cadre doctors demand for the service structure. “The improved service structure, with an improved chanced of carrier progression of general cadre doctors is the only single remedy to stop the brain drain” Dr Masood added.

Dr Masood sheikh pointed out that general cadre doctors with a number more than 14000 across Punjab are the back bone of health delivery system and with out their participation, no system can function. He pointed out that the policies of the previous government had proved detrimental for this cadre and if there deterioration continues then health system may collapse. He said that the current government is planning to do some positive turn, but it should be kept in mind that the dead lock for promotion at the level of general cadre doctors must be rectified. He said that during last 15 years due to non availability of PPSC the promotion of GC Doctors was unduly delayed, and many were forced to work at the grade 17 for over 16-20 years, that has resulted in creating frustration amongst this cadre.

Similarly a deadlock at the level of grade 19 needs to be addressed. The provincial council suggested that as has been agreed during the service structure committees that the length of service will be taken as criteria for promotion, and those with a length of 5 years, 12 years and 16 years will be promoted to grade 18,19 and 20 respectively. They said that we do not ask for grade 20 for all doctors having a length of service of 16 years but at least they should be promoted to the grade 19. The provincial council meeting also described that, to accomplish this there are few ways may be adopted.(1) There may be up gradation of the seat of grade 18 officer to grade 19 till such time that a clear cut the vacancy is available to them, at that time there seat may be reverted to grade 18.

There may be one time dispensation for promotion of all currently working grade 18 officer to grade 19 (3) or the formula for promotion may be made more cylindrical with more room for the doctors at grade 19 & 20, GCDA General Secretary Dr Rana Rafiq, Dr Asad Abbas Shah, Dr Asim Farooqui, Dr Arif Iftikhar, Dr Ejaz Warriach, Dr Saif Ur Rehman also spoke on the occasion while the members of the provincial councils of General Cadre Doctors Association Dr Shaukat, Dr. Aslam Hameed, Dr Farooq, Dr Shahid, Dr Amir , Dr M Arif, Dr Malik Riaz, Dr Zulfiqar, Dr Nasrullah, Dr Gulzar, Dr Abdul Rehman, Dr Naeem, Dr Adil, Dr Liaqat, Dr Ayub, along with representative from different district attended the meeting.