Essential Service Act enforced in govt teaching hospitals across KP

PESHAWAR, February 8: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government here on Monday enforced Essential Services Act 1958 at all the government teaching hospitals across the province to prevent protests by doctors against the implementation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Teaching Institute Reforms Act, 2015.
Shahram Khan, provincial health minister, said that the essential services act was imposed in the light of court directions.
According to essential services act all the doctors and paramedical staff become bound to perform their duties and also bars the unions from such steps that disrupt services to patients.
Earlier, KP senior minister for Health Sharam Khan Tarkai had warned the protesting doctors that if anyone violates the rules of law the government will take extreme steps.
Government is fully determined to implement Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Teaching Institute Reforms Act, 2015, which was delayed to enforce due to litigation and protest by doctors. But, we could not be pressured by strikes and protest, said KP Minister for Health, Shahram Khan Tarakai while speaking at a news conference.
The Minister said the KP government is introducing reforms for provision of better healthcare delivery system. He said the some status-quo people were against the reforms and change in health sector, but we will deal them with iron hands, he warned. He said people will see improvement in all major teaching hospital and health facilities within next six months.-Sabah