Assertion: Health workers demand backed up pay

Lady Health Workers threatened to protest if their unpaid salaries are not given to them by Oct 15.

HARIPUR:

Lady Health Workers (LHWs) on Thursday threatened to protest if their unpaid salaries are not given to them by Oct 15.

This was decided at a meeting of LHWs and their supervisory staff held at the Women and Children Hospital Haripur.

Speaking on the occasion, the LHWs claimed that the situation has created an economic crisis for them, forcing them to accept loans and other assistance from their families. “The programme was launched during the government of [former
Prime Minister] Benazir Bhutto, but the leadership has not listened to our demands for the last six months,” said a lady health worker.

The supervisory staff of the National Program for Family Planning & Primary Health Care (NP for FP & BHC) criticised the government for not paying their entitled fuel charges for daily monitoring of the LHWs. The LHWs and their supervisors reiterated the threat of organising a protest rally if their demands were not met by the aforementioned date.

LHWs of district Haripur were hired in the mid 90s under NP for FP & PHC and deputed in their respective villages and localities.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2011.