Empty promises: Called for talks, LHWs made to wait and then shown the door

LHWs announced if their demands are not met by April 23, one of their members will set themselves on fire each day

ISLAMABAD:

The Lady Health Workers (LHWs) who have been demanding regularisation of their jobs made no headway in their pursuit on Thursday.

Although they were invited by Goodwill Ambassador on Women Empowerment Fiza Batool Gilani for talks after one of their male colleague set himself on fire in protest the earlier day, they were made to wait for over 6 hours and then told that the ambassador was too busy to hear their plights.

All Pakistan Lady Health Workers Welfare Association (APLHWWA) Chairperson Bushra Arain said they were taken to the Ministry of Human Rights around 11am but the meeting was delayed on one pretence or the other, after which it was finally cancelled around 5:45pm.

Ever more dejected by the poor response of the government, the LHWs announced that if their demands are not met by April 23, one of their members will set themselves on fire on each passing day till their demands are fulfilled.

Meanwhile, the condition of Barkat Ali, who set him on fire on Wednesday, is now stable, officials of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Burn Centre told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2012.