Attention has turned to a developing story after the Sindh High Court has accepted the request to give salary equal to MBBSS doctors to Doctors of Physiotherapy doing house jobs. A plea was heard in the High Court to give salary equal to MBBSS doctors to Doctors of Physiotherapy doing house jobs.

Background

Context is essential to fully grasping the implications of this development.

The petitioner's counsel Qazi Ali Athar Advocate argued that in Sindh it is mandatory for physiotherapy doctors to undergo 5-year education like MBBS and after 5-year education it is mandatory to do house job.

Physiotherapy graduate is also declared Doctor of Physiotherapy but still he is not paid any salary in the course of house job for last 9 years.

Analysis

Specialists in the field say the implications extend further than initially apparent.

The lawyer argued that this is the worst example of using qualified branded labor and violation of Article 11 of the Constitution, while MBBS doctors are paid Rs 69,000 per month while doing house jobs.

In a related development, the court, while accepting the petition, ordered the Jinnah Hospital administration to pay physiotherapy doctors at par with MBBS doctors.

National Impact

The broader implications of this development are already coming into focus.

The court also ordered the Sindh government to formulate a permanent policy to pay physiotherapy doctors doing house jobs at par with MBBS doctors.

Meanwhile, sources familiar with the matter indicate that the petition was filed on behalf of 53 physiotherapy doctors including Dr. Sumia Qazi.

What Happens Next

What this development ultimately means remains to be seen. But its significance — both in the immediate term and over the longer horizon — is already being felt by those involved and those watching from the outside.