MARDAN  -  The Paramedical Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter held a cabinet meeting on Friday, according to a press release.

 Presided over by Provincial President Sharafullah Yousafzai, the meeting included office bearers of the provincial cabinet, divisional cabinets, and presidents of Peshawar, Mardan, Hazara, Malakand, Kohat, Bannu, and other districts. The association’s provincial general secretary, Iqmal Orakzai, presented the agenda and briefed officials on the current situation.

 Members discussed the September 6, 2023 notification from the Department of Health, which appointed a lady doctor as Registrar in the Faculty of Paramedical and Allied Health Sciences (Medical Faculty). On July 12, 2023, paramedics across the province boycotted services and organized a protest meeting in Peshawar. A subsequent meeting with Health Advisor Dr. Riaz Anwar led to the decision to form a committee to establish faculty rules and annul the notification. Unfortunately, elements within the health department sought to create difficulties, seemingly part of a conspiracy. The meeting expressed frustration over the long-pending paramedic promotions; many senior paramedics retired without advancement.