KP doctors reject 15% raise, launch province-wide OPD boycott for 30% pay hike

Doctors at Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) and other major healthcare facilities in Peshawar and other districts

PESHAWAR: Doctors across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have launched a protest against what they describe as inadequate pay increases, boycotting outpatient departments (OPDs) and elective services at major public-sector hospitals across the province.

Doctors at Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) and other major healthcare facilities in Peshawar and other districts are participating in the protest, according to representatives of the protesting doctors.

The doctors are demanding a 30 percent increase in the stipend and pay of Trainee Medical Officers (TMOs) and House Officers. They have rejected the provincial government’s recently announced 15 percent increase, arguing that it does not adequately reflect inflation or the workload faced by doctors at major hospitals.

The protesting doctors have also raised concerns over what they describe as a significant disparity between stipends offered in KP and Punjab. They claim that doctors in KP currently receive around Rs77,000, compared with approximately Rs127,000 in Punjab, despite comparable working hours and responsibilities.

According to the doctors, trainee doctors at tertiary-care hospitals routinely handle heavy patient loads and work extended hours. They also maintain that their stipends have not been revised adequately for several years, while the cost of living has risen substantially.

The doctors’ representatives warned that continued disparities in compensation could make it increasingly difficult for the province to retain medical professionals, with qualified doctors potentially seeking opportunities in other provinces or abroad.

The OPD boycott has caused difficulties for patients visiting public hospitals for routine consultations and elective treatment. Emergency and other essential services, however, are continuing, according to the protesting doctors.

The doctors’ associations have called for immediate notification of a 30 percent increase and measures to address the alleged pay gap with Punjab. They have warned that the scope of the protest could be widened if their demands are not addressed.

The provincial government had yet to issue a response to the latest demand for a 30 percent increase at the time of publication.