Pay us or else: LHWs come out on the streets in protest

They want release of their outstanding salaries, definition of their roles

KARACHI: Hundreds of lady health workers from across the province protested outside the Chief Minister House Monday morning for the release of their salaries.

The protesters were demanding the release of their salaries that had been pending for four months and had already been approved by CM Murad Ali Shah one-and-a-half months ago, as well as the printing of a service structure book that clearly outlined their roles and duties.

The demonstrators were shouting slogans against the Sindh government for not releasing their salaries on time despite several assurances. According to Ghazala, who hailed from Kandhkot, “Our salaries get delayed for months, which has become a regular feature.” It has become intolerable as we have been fulfilling our duties in all kinds of tough conditions, she lamented.



Another lady health worker present at the protest was from Badin. “We help children get vaccinated by going [from] house to house but it’s us who suffer the most.” The government does not care about those who help eradicate polio in Pakistan, she bemoaned.

“In the land of Sufis, the women are forced after every few months to come to Karachi and protest, which is very unfortunate,” said a protester from Larkana. According to her, the issues must be resolved permanently so that the workers no longer have to come out on the streets to protest.

All Pakistan Lady Health Worker Welfare Association president Bushra Arain warned the government that if salaries are not released on time and if government officers do not stop harassing them, the lady health workers will continue their protests.

The CM intervened upon his return from the Sindh Secretariat and assured them that their salaries will be released soon, adding that the process had been delayed due to bureaucratic hurdles.

Shah invited nine lady health workers to the CM House, where he held a meeting with them and directed the health minister and secretary to utilise their services for the eradication of polio from the province.

The CM ordered the finance department to release their funds immediately and health secretary Fazalullah Pechuho to meet the delegation and resolve their problems within the next three days.

The meeting was attended by Health Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro, principal secretary to the CM, Naveed Kamran Baloch, Pechuho and finance secretary Hassan Naqvi.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2017.