Doctors on fixed salary at KP DHQ have not been paid since last year, association demands immediate release of dues
PESHAWAR:
Doctors, dental surgeons and specialist doctors employed on fixed salary contracts in various District Headquarters (DHQ) hospitals in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have not received their salaries for the last five months, plunging them into severe financial difficulties.
These doctors, including those in less attractive specialties such as pathology, radiology and anesthesiology, were hired to address long-standing shortages in provincial health centers. The government had previously announced attractive salary packages and incentives to encourage specialists to work in remote and underserved DHQ hospitals, where attracting qualified staff had been a persistent challenge.
According to sources, last year the Health Department hired staff to fill vacancies in several districts. In a key initiative, 115 posts for Grade 17 Medical Officers have been advertised and placed in facilities including DHQ Lakki Marwat, DHQ Karak, DHQ Landi Kotal, DHQ Upper Dir, DHQ Charsadda and DHQ Battagram. Additionally, 21 posts in pathology, radiology and anesthesiology were filled under non-permanent consultant scheme for unattractive specialties in selected DHQs including Mardan, Battagram, Haripur and Upper Dir.
Additionally, 30 specialist posts in grade 18 with fixed salary in fields such as pediatric surgery, neurology, pulmonology, cardiology, ophthalmology, general medicine, ENT, gynaecology, dermatology and nephrology have been created at DHQs of Upper Dir, Haripur, Mardan, Charsadda, Battagram and Landi Kotal.
The fixed salary structure promised competitive compensation, ranging from Rs 170,000 to Rs 400,000 per month, depending on grade and specialty, with specific budgets allocated to hospitals for these payments.
Despite these guarantees, the doctors have not received salaries since the end of last year. The Provincial College of Physicians has formally approached the Department of Health demanding the immediate release of 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 only for work reasons, but with the solemn commitment to safeguard the lives of patients, alleviate their suffering and honor their trust,” the statement reads.
Doctors highlighted the irony of their situation in the midst of Ramzan, a month that symbolizes patience and justice. “We are in hospital emergencies, managing life support in ICUs and spending hours in operating theatres. A doctor who does his duty after sehri and stays busy in emergencies until the iftar collapses under domestic economic pressure,” they said.
The association highlighted that although they appear strong, they are also human. “We do not want to strike or abandon patients, that idea is unthinkable. It is not just about a few months of salary; it is a question of trust, dignity and the future of the profession.”
They warned that ignoring the issue could discourage young doctors from seeing medicine as a service and seeing it as a symbol of insecurity. “A solid and respectable health system is only possible when its pillars, the doctors themselves, are safe.”
