Pakistan trainee doctors strike for two weeks over stipends — Dawn
In Peshawar, Pakistan, trainee doctors and interns have been on strike for two weeks at medical training institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, demanding a 30% increase in stipends. Outpatient departments, wards, operating theatres and diagnostic units have stopped functioning due to the protest, Dawn reports.
Authorities' position
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Khalikur Rahman said that payments to medical workers had already been increased in July 2026 after approval by the provincial government. According to him, he also requested data on doctors' stipends in other provinces to consider the possibility of equalizing payments.
The provincial government also claims that stipends were increased by 15% on September 10, with payments backdated to June. At the same time, strike participants note that their colleagues in Punjab receive higher stipends. The minister urged medical workers to end the protest, emphasizing its impact on patients.
Hospital operations are limited
The protest began on September 7 and, according to the publication, is continuing with no apparent prospect of ending. Emergency and trauma departments remain operational and provide care to critically ill and injured patients.
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In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about 600 doctors, 53% of whom are women, are undergoing five-year training in 74 specialties at medical training institutions in the province and other Pakistani provinces. Their training is administered by the Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI). Its annual budget amounts to 8.6 billion Pakistani rupees, 98% of which is allocated to stipends for trainee doctors.
Khalid Kamal, a representative of a council formed by trainee doctors, said they ensure round-the-clock hospital operations, including in intensive care units, operating theatres, emergency departments and outpatient clinics. The strikers also said that because of full-time hospital work, they have no opportunity to earn additional income through private practice.
In the city of Swabi, trainee doctors and interns have also joined the protest. They said they could continue the work boycott, and their goal is to close outpatient departments at hospitals across the province. According to the protesters, prices for goods and other expenses have risen significantly over the past decade, while the amount of their stipends has not changed.
