Fixed-pay medical officers at K-P DHQs unpaid since last year, association demands immediate release of dues
PESHAWAR:
Medical officers, dental surgeons, and specialist doctors employed on fixed-salary contracts at various District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospitals in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have not received their salaries for the past five months, plunging them into severe financial distress.
These doctors, including those in less attractive specialties such as pathology, radiology, and anesthesiology, were hired to address longstanding shortages in provincial healthcare facilities. The government had previously announced attractive pay packages and incentives to encourage specialists to serve in remote and underserved DHQ hospitals, where attracting qualified personnel had been a persistent challenge.
According to sources, last year the Health Department recruited staff to fill vacancies across multiple districts. In a key initiative, 115 posts for Grade-17 Medical Officers were advertised, with placements made at facilities including DHQ Lakki Marwat, DHQ Karak, DHQ Landi Kotal, DHQ Upper Dir, DHQ Charsadda, and DHQ Battagram. Additionally, 21 positions in pathology, radiology, and anesthesiology were filled under a non-permanent consultant scheme for non-attractive specialties at select DHQs, including Mardan, Battagram, Haripur, and Upper Dir.
Furthermore, 30 specialist posts in Grade-18 were created on fixed pay in fields such as pediatric surgery, neurology, pulmonology, cardiology, ophthalmology, general medicine, ENT, gynecology, dermatology, and nephrology at DHQs in Upper Dir, Haripur, Mardan, Charsadda, Battagram, and Landi Kotal.
The fixed-salary structure promised competitive compensation, ranging from Rs170,000 to Rs400,000 per month depending on grade and specialty, with dedicated budgets allocated to hospitals for these payments.
Despite these assurances, the doctors have gone without pay since late last year. The Provincial Doctors Association has formally approached the Health Department demanding immediate release of the outstanding salaries.
In a strongly worded statement, the association emphasized that the doctors were selected strictly on merit through rigorous examinations and interviews. “We chose this profession not merely for employment, but with a solemn commitment to safeguard patients’ lives, alleviate their suffering, and honor their trust,” the statement read.
The doctors highlighted the irony of their situation amid Ramzan, a month symbolizing patience and justice. “We stand in hospital emergencies, manage life-support in ICUs, and spend hours in operation theaters. A doctor who performs duty after sehri and remains busy in emergencies until iftar is crumbling under economic pressure from within,” they said.
The association stressed that while they appear strong, they are human too. “We do not want to strike or abandon patients, that idea is unthinkable. This is not just about a few months’ salaries; it is a matter of trust, dignity, and the future of the profession.”
They warned that ignoring the issue could deter young doctors from viewing medicine as a service, instead seeing it as a symbol of insecurity. “A robust and respectable healthcare system is only possible when its pillars, the doctors themselves, are secure.”
