AIBAK (Pajhwok): Doctors and paramedical staff of the provincial civil hospital in northern Samangan province on Thursday went on strike against what they said being replaced and their salaries reduced.
However, Samangan public health officials say the project related salaries of the doctors had ended and their positions are yet to be announced for new employments.
Dr. Atta Mohammad, one of the protestors and a surgeon in Samangan Civil Hospital, said that the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) had reduced their salaries and had decided to announce their positions for open competition despite they were employed through the same process.
The doctors would continue their strike until the ministry changed its mind, he said.
The strike has left a number of patients at the hospital unattended.
Gul Mohammad, one of patient attendants, said, “My brother is ill and in bed, today was his turn to be operated upon, but the doctors went on strike, the doctors are playing with the life of my brother.”
He asked public health officials to respond to the problems of the protesting doctors.
Meanwhile, Dr. Abdul Khalil Musdiq, Samangan public health director, said the project under which workers and doctors of the hospital received salaries had ended but their salaries based on their ranks were still payable.
He said that the positions of the doctors would not be announced and the hospital workers had been misinformed about the issue.
Mds/ma
