18 years on, Sindh regularises LHWs

Governor Ishratul Ebad promulgates ordinance to set up authority to manage workers' affairs.

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has finally decided to regularise the jobs of lady health workers. The decision is the culmination of an 18-year-long struggle by the workers.

According to the ordinance promulgated by Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan late Tuesday night, 23,000 lady health workers, along with their supervisors, accountants and drivers will be regularised in the province. Under the ordinance, the 'Sindh Reproductive, Maternal, Neo-Natal and Child Health Authority' will be set up to manage the affairs of these employees and other staff employed at the National Programme for Primary Health Care and Family Planning.

Lady health workers and their supervisors currently make Rs7,000 per month. After the ordinance, the salary for lady health workers will increase to Rs13,000 and their supervisors will get Rs15,000, along with 70 litres of fuel.

"The Supreme Court gave the decision in our favor in July 2012," said Khairunisa Memon, president of the provincial chapter of Lady Health Workers Association. "The health minister and secretary have assured us that our regularisation will be considered with effect from 2012." The lady health workers programme was initiated during the second tenure of the Pakistan Peoples Party government, when Benazir Bhutto was prime minister in 1994. Since then, these workers have been protesting.

The ordinance states that the new authority will aim to encourage contraception, increase percentage of women receiving at least four antenatal cares from skilled providers, increase tetanus toxoid vaccinations, ensure skilled birth attendance and institutional deliveries and work on immunisation among children.

The authority will also develop and recommend the minimum service delivery standards for reproductive, maternal neo-natal and child health and nutrition services.

The general directions and administration of the authority and its affairs will be managed by the board. Meanwhile, the authority will be chaired by the incumbent provincial minister for health.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2014.