Voicing discontent: Incensed LHWs block GT Road in protest

Set Jan 15 ‘deadline’ for payment of due salaries, regularisation of services.

PESHAWAR:

Hundreds of lady health workers (LHWs) on Thursday blocked GT Road for several hours in protest over non-regularisation of services and delay in salaries.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands, protesters from all over Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chanted slogans against the government. They threatened to widen the scope of their protest if their services are not regularised and their salaries – which they have not received for over five months – not paid.

Protesters were led by several LHWs’ supervisors who said they had been serving as health workers on a temporary basis since 1994. Around 14,000 LHWs are currently performing duties in the province.



They threatened the government of boycotting the upcoming provincial polio vaccination drive if their salaries are not released by January 15.

LHW supervisor in Peshawar, Ayesha said they had been fully participating in the crucial anti-polio drives and the ‘mother and child week’ observed in December, but had not been paid for their services.

She said K-P Secretary Health Ghulam Qadir had assured them the issue of their salaries would be resolved by January 10. LHWs will wait till then, and if the issue persists, will extend their protest and boycott all health drives in the province, claimed Ayesha.

Meanwhile, Minister for Health Shaukat Yousafzai said till 2015, the salaries of health officials are to be borne by the federal government. He said he has discussed all these issues with the LHW supervisors and has also released their salaries of two months from the province’s fund.

“LHWs play a crucial role in all health drives, especially anti-polio ones, and would have my complete support if and when they protest against the federal government,” said Yousafzai. He demanded the federal government immediately release their salaries.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2013.