Remuneration withheld: LHWs boycott upcoming anti-polio drive

Demand payment of salaries overdue since past three months.

MINGORA:

Lady health workers (LHW) in Swat have refused to take part in the upcoming anti-polio campaign starting November 18 (tomorrow).

LHW Association Swat President Naheed Bibi on Saturday told the media they have decided not to take part in the drive as their salaries have been withheld for the past three months. “We have been left in a financial crisis since the stoppage of our pay. The government has knowingly pushed us into famine, despite the fact that we assisted them during every health crisis,” she said.

Speaking of LHWs’ participation in the anti-dengue campaign, Naheed said: “Some of our workers caught dengue fever during the job and died, but the government did not even compensate them.” She added due to this brutal display of behaviour by the government, their families are bearing the burden. “We announce our boycott from the anti-dengue campaign and also from the mother and child health week until our salaries are released,” said Naheed.

Meanwhile, male health workers and paramedics in Swat have also strongly condemned the suspension of LHWs’ salaries by the government. They said the upcoming anti-polio drive would be affected greatly if LHWs do not participate in the campaign.

“They (LHWs) have worked actively during several health campaigns. In anti-polio campaigns, they have travelled to far-flung areas of Swat. Despite this, the government has stopped their salaries for the past three months, which we strongly condemn,” said Swat Paramedical Association President Bashir Ahmad.

This year in Pakistan, 62 cases of polio have been reported so far – compared to 58 last year. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa witnessed 9 cases, while Punjab and Sindh reported 6 and 4, respectively. The remaining 43 instances were reported from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2013.