Sindh government promises to resolve health workers’ problems

Protesters demonstrate against non-payment of salaries and officials taking bribes to issue offer letters

KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to resolve the salary issue of the lady health workers (LHWs) through special grants and pledged to address all their other issues immediately.

The decision was taken by the government after the health workers held demonstrations to protest the non-disbursement of their salaries. Lady Health Workers Association president Khairunissa Memon said that the federal government was releasing salaries to all provinces but Sindh. She pointed out that both federal and Sindh government were not dealing with the matter seriously. "Officials in Sindh government take bribes for issuing offer letters to LHWs," she said, demanding a judicial commission to be constituted to investigate the issue.

Information minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and the health minister Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar initiated the dialogue with the protesters. "We already know your problem that the federal government doesn't release funds," Khuhro told the female workers. Over the issue of bribery being taken by officials in the health department, Dahar assured the health workers that he would investigate the matter.



The ministers said that chief minister Qaim Ali Shah has released a special grant, adding that salaries will be paid by the provincial government until the federal government resolved the issue.

Shah told the protesters that they should have met him to discuss the issue, as protesting was not the correct way. "The provincial government is committed to addressing all your issues," he said.

Speaking to the media, Khuhro said that the health workers were on the payroll of the federal government. He added, "The federal government has to release salaries to these health workers."

Meanwhile, the health workers marched towards Sindh Assembly building on Tuesday morning, when police placed containers around the Karachi Press Club where they had set up a demonstration camp a day earlier. Police blocked their route when the women attempted to enter the assembly premises.

They (protesters) shouted slogans against the 'biased' attitude of the federal government, and said that health workers in other provinces were given salaries and other privileges whereas in Sindh the workers have not received their salaries for the last four months.

The majority of the female health workers came from across the province. The association's general secretary Shazia said, "We won't go back without taking our rights." Shazia alleged that her fellows were harassed by the police when they tried to gather outside the press club to protest. "Police blocked all routes without any reason," she said, adding that all the workers had joined hands to get their own rights.

Jobs of around 24,000 lady health workers and their supporting staff in Sindh were made permanent on Supreme Court orders in 2012. After the 18th Amendment, however, the workers are still facing problems.

The LHWs will meet the health minister to discuss their other issues today (Wednesday) at his office.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2015.