K-P first responders stop Covid testing
A policeman (R) stands along a paramilitary soldier at a security check point on a street as a lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of the Covid-19 in Karachi. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Covid Rapid Response Teams have announced a boycott of duty due to non-payment of allowances for past eight months.
Talking to The Express Tribune an official of the Rapid Response Team said that from January 2021 till date, their allowances have not been paid due to unknown reasons and as a protest measure they have initiated a boycott of collecting samples.
They blamed that in April this year the provincial health minister Jhagra promised them that this issue will be solved on priority basis but despite his assurances, nothing practical came out of it.
“This is an issue in every district of the province as in the past eight months not a single team has been paid its allowances and dues making it practically impossible for them to continue their work despite the fourth wave of the Covid-19 in full swing,” he said, adding that doctors and paramedic staff in the teams were demanding the payment of their dues before resuming their work.
Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) and other bodies of doctors have shown complete solidarity with the staff of Rapid Response Teams and demanded of the K-P Health Department to solve the matter on priority basis otherwise in the event of a prolonged boycott the general public will suffer because the Delta variant was spreading rapidly.
In May Covid Rapid Response Teams in Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) demanded payment of their dues too.
“In DI Khan district there are 11 rapid response teams comprising of three members each. A doctor leads the team who is assisted by a supporting doctor and technical staff. They are tasked with collecting 46 samples each day and the target will go up in the coming days. But despite the workload they are not being paid,” he said, adding that there were 33 people deployed in Tehsil Dera, Daraban, Kulachi, Paharpur and Purwa alone.
The members of the task force blamed that despite the fact they are on the fore front of the Covid-19 response and they are endangering their own lives each day to serve their countrymen, they are being completely ignored by the Health Department on one or other pretext.
“They say that the Finance Department is not releasing the funds but the interesting thing is that the Health Minister and Finance Minister is the same. Even then the Health Department is short of funds,” he said.
“Under the PTI government there is a widespread mismanagement in every department. You can’t bring change by tweeting 100 times per day. You have to work hard for it on the ground,” he blamed.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 2nd, 2021.