700 health workers not paid salaries

About 700 daily-wage workers of the Multan health department, who are tasked with carrying out the anti-dengue drive, have not been paid their wages for the last three months, sources said.

According to a spokesman for the Health Department, the problem of daily-wage workers’ wages would be sorted out soon.

How soon that happens is anyone’s guess, but for now, instead of being given their wages, these daily-wage workers were allegedly being forced to work extra hours, sources said.

Instead of paying full attention to the anti-dengue campaign across the district, efforts are being made to make the corona vaccination campaign and the anti-polio campaign a success, they said.

Also, the health workers who have been designated specifically to be employed on anti-dengue campaigns are now being employed for anti-polio and anti-corona vaccination drives as well, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Multan district, which remained a dengue-free district for many years, has suddenly seen an increase in the number of dengue cases, sources said.

District administration’s efforts to control the situation are underway.

According to the Health Department sources, the monsoon rains in South Punjab, including Multan, and the flood situation in the surrounding districts of Multan were the main reasons for the sudden increase in dengue cases this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2022.