KARACHI- Dental house officers of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) shut down all dental out-patient departments and came out in joint protest at the Dow Medical College main campus on Monday (today).
The protest included house officers from all three dental institutions of DUHS - Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Dow International Dental College and Dow Dental College. The young dentists revealed that the purpose behind staging this protest was the extremely meager and unfair stipend issued to house officers during their house job.
During the one year compulsory house job, BDS graduates in DUHS are paid a monthly stipend of Rs 13,000, despite the fact that PMDC has ordained that house officers are to receive a minimum monthly stipend of Rs 30,000 during the course of their house job, in both private as well as government institutions.
The students revealed that despite approaching university administration numerous times about this concern, their issues were not addressed, and they recently received their first stipend, delayed, which was still the scant sum of Rs 13,000. This prompted the students to take the matter in their own hands and stage a public protest to garner the support of the government and create awareness regarding this important matter.
There is great inequality in terms of the wages issued to house officers and post-graduate officers working in university hospitals, both across institutions as well as provinces. After studying for a challenging and difficult degree at the cost of hefty university fees, medical and dental graduates have the right to a much more substantial monthly wage.
The issue has been brought to the notice of the Vice Chancellor of Dow University, along with the Chief Minister of Sindh and Chief Justice of Sindh High Court. The protest received extensive coverage from the media. The dental house officers expressed their intent to continue this protest and boycott the OPDs until their demands are met.
