Massive traffic jam as LHWs continue sit-in

LAHORE: Lady Health Workers (LHWs) from all over Punjab converged on The Mall to stage a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly on Monday to press for the demands of revised service structure, scale up gradation and regularisation of ad hoc employees.

As LHWs started arriving at Faisal Chowk from all over the province early in the morning, the sit-in was stages at noon, causing massive traffic jam in the heart of the city throughout the day. The traffic police diverted the traffic to adjoining roads, which caused a lot of inconvenience to the motorists as the protest was still continuing even at night. Carrying placards and banners with their demands, the protesting LHWs chanted slogans against the health minister and bureaucracy.

President LHWs Rukhsana Anwar voiced demands of the LHWs, saying that the government must upgrade their scales, regularise contract employees, grant equal rights as available to other civil servants including pension after retirement. “We demand our right to facilities commensurate to our qualifications,” she said, adding that the government had been using delaying tactics as it had not fulfilled their demands of last year’s sit-in.

The LHW’s sit-in, if prolonged, may also affect the dengue, malaria and polio campaigns, as some of the protesting LHWs also threatened to boycott immunisation campaigns in the province.

She said that LHWs would continue their protest till written assurance of acceptance of all of their demands. “We are ready to spend night under open sky. We can continue protest till March 23 if needed,” she said.

Delegation of Young Doctors Association (YDA) headed by Punjab chapter Chairman Dr Shoaib Tarrar and General Secretary Dr Salman Haseeb visited Faisal Chowk to express solidarity with the protesting LHWs.

Dr Shoaib Tarrar said that it was a pity that daughters of the nation were on roads demanding legitimate rights. He urged the government to resolve the issue at the earliest and avoid taking the situation to point of no return.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said that protest was uncalled-for as the government had already taken steps for fulfilling rights of LHWs. She said the sit-in was merely aimed at gaining cheap political mileage, adding that all the genuine demands have already been acknowledged and Punjab was the first province to award service benefits to the LHWs and Lady Health Supervisors (LHSs).

She said that the government has already released Rs480 million for pension and grant for heirs of LHWs, who had died during service. She said that more than 45000 LHWs and 2000 LHSs had already been promoted in next grade. She said that the process had already been completed for recruiting 13,000 LHWs on regular basis. After 2009, she said, such recruitment would be made for the first time in the history of the province.

As the talks remained inconclusive, the LHWs announced continuing protest till acceptance of all demands.

Meanwhile, Punjab Health Services Director General Dr Muneer Ahmad said sit-in of lady health workers (LHW) at Mall Road was nothing but to gain political mileage. All the genuine demands have already been acknowledged and Punjab was the first province in connection with awarding all service benefits to the lady health workers, he added.

He said due to the efforts made by the present government, 48 crore rupees have been released under the head of pension and death grant. Health department has completed the promotion process of 45,000 lady health worker and 2,000 lady health supervisors.