LAHORE: Nurses called off their protest on Monday ‘amid assurance and warning’ from the government.
A group of ad hoc nurses who had earlier rejected the agreement of their colleagues with the government signed on Saturday night, dispersed on Monday when the health department reportedly warned that they would not be entertained at any cost if they refused to accept the contract.
Though the nurses said that they were going to end protest after the government addressed their reservations, it was learnt that the government had conveyed a ‘strict message’ to them through their other colleagues and managements of the institutions that the protesters would not get relief if they continued with the sit-in on The Mall after Saturday’s agreement.
According to the agreement, the government will give three-year contract to 2,800 nurses. It will also regularise their services after expiry of the contract.
In the first phase, the government had issued over 600 contract letters to nurses and others will also get the same in coming days.
A delegation of nurses from government hospitals of the provincial capital met their colleagues on Monday morning and informed them about details of the agreement.
They also provided the protesters with a copy of the agreement which was bearing signatures of Health Secretary Babar Hayat Tarar, Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique, Punjab Director General Health Dr Zahid Pervaiz and the nursing director general.
The delegation cleared doubts of their colleagues saying that the government would also create 1,500 more posts to accommodate maximum number of nurses.
The ad hoc nurses expressed their satisfaction on the briefing given by their colleagues and finally announced an end to the strike at 2pm on Monday.