Lahore: Nurses refuse to end protest

Nurses continued their protest demonstration and sit-in on the sixth consecutive day in front of the Punjab Assembly against government policies. They boycotted duties at OPD and indoor wards as well as emergency wards of all public sector hospitals of Lahore to protest against removal of nursing employees as well as non-regularisation of nurses in Punjab without getting any relief from the authorities concerned so far. Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafiq, Health Secretary Babar Hayat Tarar and DG Health Services, Punjab, Dr Zahid Pervaiz reached the venue and offered to give a fresh contract for a period of three years to nurses, but they refused to accept the offer. The protesting nurses alleged Health Department authorities and hospitals’ administrations had been pressurising them to call off their protest, but they would not call off their protest until the government accepts their demands