Govt denies funds to recruit dengue workers

Government has declined the District Health Authority Rawalpindi’s request for funding of 2,217 dengue workers

RAWALPINDI:

Due to a severe financial crisis, the Punjab government has declined the District Health Authority Rawalpindi’s request for funding to support the recruitment of 2,217 dengue patrol workers and 62 assistant entomologists in Rawalpindi district.

In a circular addressed to the District Health Authority Rawalpindi, it has been strictly mandated that the salaries for these recruits shall be covered by the Health Department Rawalpindi itself.

The Punjab government has indicated that it will not allocate funds for these recruitments in the new financial year 2024-25, and the responsibility for paying these employees will fall on the Health Department, Rawalpindi. However, if the District Health Authority can ensure payment of salaries, they are instructed to submit an affidavit letter within a week, upon which the recruitment may proceed.

Furthermore, the Punjab government has directed the health department in Rawalpindi to transition to bank payments instead of cash for all anti-dengue workers' salaries. This decision comes amidst concerns that the anti-dengue campaign in the Rawalpindi district may suffer due to the government's refusal to fund salaries for new employees. With an urgent need for 2,500 dengue patrol workers in the Rawalpindi district, the shortfall in recruitment may hamper the effectiveness of the anti-dengue efforts.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2024.