Unpaid for 3 months, Baghlan doctors threaten strike

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): Doctors in northern Baghlan province on Wednesday said they had not been paid salary for the last three months, threatening to stop working if their wages were further delayed.

Children ward in-charge at the provincial civil hospital, Dr. Syed Akbar Shah said earlier an NGO would give them salaries and they received their last pay in December 2020.

“We were told that the NGO will no longer provide our salaries and the government will pay normal salaries, but for the past three months we did not receive the normal pay.”

He said the NGO had been providing 28,000 afghanis pay per head but the government pay would not be sufficient to support their families.

OPD doctor Safya said she did not receive her salary for the past three months and she was in deep trouble.

“There are many other doctors who don’t work part time and they are faced with multiple problems,” she said.

Baghlan Public Health Director Dr.Mohibullah Habib said the contracs of doctors were being renewed therefore their salaries had been postponed.

“From December their salaries have not been paid. After their new contracts are finalised, their salaries would be paid,” he said.

nh/ma