Fighting dengue: Dozens of health workers not paid salaries for two months

They says they have not been paid salaries despite being worked during holidays.

LAHORE:

Dozens of dengue fever control programme officials have not received salaries for two months, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Health Department’s Epidemics Prevention and Control Programme employs nearly 2,500 officials in Grade 1 to 16 across the province.

The staffers say they have not been paid the salaries despite being worked during Eid and Independence Day holidays.

“Most government employees received salaries before Eid. We did not even receive the salaries for even July,” an environment inspector requesting not to be named said.

“There are 62 environment inspectors carrying out dengue surveillance activities in Lahore. They have not received their salaries for July and August,” said an environment inspector.

He said the inspectors were working in BS 16. He said employees of the dengue control programme were hired on a contract basis.

“Our contracts expired on July 30. We were assured that the contacts would be renewed and we would get paid. The health secretary, however, renewed the contracts on August 19. We have now been told that it will take some time to pay our salaries.”

Another official in the programme said, “Our salaries are already low and no fuel allowance is given to us for outdoor surveillance. Field staffers include environment inspectors, lady health workers and lady sanitary patrol.”

“Salaries of those working in the dengue fever control programme are paid by the office of the health executive district officer. Some clerks there delay the process and demand bribes… despite repeated requests authorities have not taken a notice of this,” another staffer said.

Health Deputy District Officer Hafiz Asim said salaries of officials of the dengue fever control programme were paid before Eid.“Those working on their days off or on public holidays are paid an honorarium. Honoraria of some staffers may have not been paid along with salary but salaries of all officials have been paid before Eid,” Asim told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2014.