Broke on Eid: Dengue workers awaiting salaries as season approaches
Around 3,000 people and vaccinators haven’t been paid as yet
Daily-wagers of dengue project protesting. PHOTO: AGHA MEHROZ/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Eidul-Fitr is around the corner and around 3,000 people who work as dengue workers and vaccinators in the city haven’t been
paid yet.
Faisal Mehmood is one of the employees who work under Shalamar Union Council on a contractual basis. These workers perform their duties without their weekly days off and even work on Eid holidays.
He is not alone as around 400 of peers, associated with the Shalamar Union Council, are also waiting to be made permanent by the health department since 2011.
Almost every year, the workers are told by the health department their employment would be regularised by the next dengue season.
“There is no job security which worries me. If they fire me this season, should I commit suicide in front of the health department?” Faisal asked.
At 32, he is the sole breadwinner of his family. “Every day, when I go to work, I don’t know if I will have this job the next day.”
He added that if the health department was sincere about its employees, they must confirm their jobs.
“We will go on a strike after Eid if they do not confirm our regularisation,” he said.
When asked, a health department spokesperson said the department has already handed over permanent job letters to most of the employees.
He added the department had categorised some of them as contractual employees and some as daily wagers, he said. The spokesman added that instead of pressuring the health department, they should wait their turns to receive appointment letters.
The cases of dengue see a spike after the monsoon season. “It breeding time and the teams are finding larvae almost in every location with stagnant water,” said Dr Asad Ashraf, who works as Lahore General Hospital.
“The health department is not concerned about the welfare of its employees who save thousands of lives,” he said.
According to the department itself, from January 1 till May 31, 2017, around 713 confirmed cases of dengue were reported.
“People should not be worried as the health department is carrying out dengue campaigns throughout the city,” said the spokesperson.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2017.
Eidul-Fitr is around the corner and around 3,000 people who work as dengue workers and vaccinators in the city haven’t been
paid yet.
Faisal Mehmood is one of the employees who work under Shalamar Union Council on a contractual basis. These workers perform their duties without their weekly days off and even work on Eid holidays.
He is not alone as around 400 of peers, associated with the Shalamar Union Council, are also waiting to be made permanent by the health department since 2011.
Almost every year, the workers are told by the health department their employment would be regularised by the next dengue season.
“There is no job security which worries me. If they fire me this season, should I commit suicide in front of the health department?” Faisal asked.
At 32, he is the sole breadwinner of his family. “Every day, when I go to work, I don’t know if I will have this job the next day.”
He added that if the health department was sincere about its employees, they must confirm their jobs.
“We will go on a strike after Eid if they do not confirm our regularisation,” he said.
When asked, a health department spokesperson said the department has already handed over permanent job letters to most of the employees.
He added the department had categorised some of them as contractual employees and some as daily wagers, he said. The spokesman added that instead of pressuring the health department, they should wait their turns to receive appointment letters.
The cases of dengue see a spike after the monsoon season. “It breeding time and the teams are finding larvae almost in every location with stagnant water,” said Dr Asad Ashraf, who works as Lahore General Hospital.
“The health department is not concerned about the welfare of its employees who save thousands of lives,” he said.
According to the department itself, from January 1 till May 31, 2017, around 713 confirmed cases of dengue were reported.
“People should not be worried as the health department is carrying out dengue campaigns throughout the city,” said the spokesperson.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2017.