PROTEST: Effigy of Director, Health burnt

Ferozepur, January 4, 2013: On being annoyed from Director Health, Sangharsh Committee Punjab State Pharmacist Association, staged protest on Thursday, under the leadership of Ravinder Luthra, Convener of the Association.

Before the demonstration, a protest march was also organised and later on, the effigy of Ashok Nayyar, Director, Health, Punjab was burnt infront of the office of the Civil Surgeon, Ferozepur.

Addressing the protestors, Luthra said, the campaign of anti-pharmacist started by the Director Health should be stopped forthwith as the same will not now be tolerated.  He further said, on the one hand, hundreds of posts of pharmacists are lying vacant which are not being filled by the Punjab government whereas on the other hand, Director Health Services is merging the pharmacist cadre in diminishing cadre.

Convener said, the condition of government hospital is so pitiable that there is no doctor nor there is paramedical staff and pharmacist and Director Health is ignoring all these facts knowingly. He also said that in case the Punjab government gets the  budget of Health Department  enquired into sincerely, there are chances of coming on surface of embezzlement of crores of rupees because in government hospitals the poor patients are deprived of the medicines.  Alleging the Director Health, he said, the way he is working speaks itself that slowing the health department is moving towards privatization.

Ravinder Luthra demanded that Director Health should roll back the orders of abolition of cadre of pharmacist, release all benefits without any condition and post of pharmacist should be converted into Pharmacy Officer.  He however, warned that in case their demands are not accepted, the Association will gehrao the Director Health.

Besides Luthra Convener, the protesters were also addressed by Harpreet Singh Thind, Sham Lal, Raj Kumar, Naresh Kumar, Harpreet Singh, Rajinder Singh, Avtar Singh, Jatinder Pal, Kulwinder Sodhi, Raman Atri, Narinder Sharma, Paneet Mehtra, Lokesh Talwar, Kanwajit Kaur, Amarjit Kaur, Paramjit Kaur, Kuldip Kaur Khungar and Ved Parkash.