Govt Launches Probe After PIMS Nurses' Protest Against Discrimination

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination has formed a three-member committee to address the grievances of nurses at the Pakistan Institutes of Medical Sciences, Islamabad.

The healthcare workers have been demonstrating against the discriminatory treatment meted out to them by the hospital in the wake of Covid-19. The nurses say that they are neither being paid incentives as nurses nor corona allowance.

“In other hospitals, all staff members have been given four basic allowances but in PIMS, healthcare workers working in the Covid-19 ward are awaiting the allowance. Meanwhile, the administration has received all four basic allowances,” said Sher Muhammad Hazara.

The fact-finding committee will probe the possibility of payments of stipend of student nurses of PIMS through a bank account, verification of disbursement stipend during the last three months, verification of expenditure on account of stipend being paid to student nurses and the status of seniority and promotion.


The committee will present its final report to the Ministry of Health in 15 days.


Khalil Ahmed, PIMS Nursing Association information secretary, said they will continue their protest against unfair and discriminatory treatment of the hospital management.


Ahmed told Naya Daur that the hospital management suspended one of their nursing instructors when he inquired from staff in the accounts section about their having paid less to nurses than the proper amount.


The hospital management, instead of taking action against the accountant, suspended the instructor. Later, to cover up their unjustified action, they suspended the accountant as well. "If the management didn’t meet their demands, they would go for long hours protesting from Monday next week," said Ahmed.


Digital Reporter