ISLAMABAD: Postgraduate residents at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad staged a peaceful protest on Monday, demanding long-overdue reforms in pay structure, hostel accommodation, hospital security, and overall patient care. The protest, which lasted for an hour and a half, drew participation from all postgraduate doctors, prompting immediate attention from the hospital administration.
The residents highlighted that their salaries have not been revised since February 2020, despite multiple applications submitted to the Executive Director and the Ministry of Health. The protest was triggered by the continued neglect of these requests and a worsening situation in hospital facilities.
Their key demands included:
Salary revision for postgraduate residents and house officers, stagnant since 2020
Hostel shortages, affecting over 70% of residents
Lack of health insurance and health risk allowance
Unpaid house jobs for both national and foreign medical graduates
Excessive duty hours without adequate facilities
No pay incentives for evening OPDs
Inadequate hospital security, with just one guard covering two wards
Free medical treatment for residents’ parents and families
Expansion in residency slots to reduce overcrowding in OPDs
Absence of transport facilities for doctors
Poor management of hospital cafeteria and hostel mess
Deficient patient care infrastructure, including shortage of free medicines, surgical articles, hospital beds, and medical staff
Following the protest, the Executive Director met with representatives of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) and assured them that their concerns would be taken up with the Ministry of Health within three days. He also pledged to personally follow up on the matter.
In response, the doctors agreed to call off the protest temporarily, setting a deadline of three days for concrete progress. The YDA warned that failure to meet their demands would result in a complete boycott of OPDs, IPDs, and all elective surgeries.
The protest underscores growing unrest among young medical professionals and their struggle for better working conditions, adequate compensation, and enhanced patient care in one of the country’s largest tertiary care hospitals.
