MULTAN City News

LHWs without salary since April
Threatens to besiege Punjab Assembly on Eid
From Our Correspondent
MULTAN: Thousands of lady health workers (LHWs) have threatened to besiege the Punjab Assembly on Eid, if they did not receive three months salary in the next couple of days.
They strongly condemned the bureaucracy for creating hurdles in the release of salaries and payment to the field staff for conducting several successful immunisation campaigns. The LHWs of Punjab have not been paid salaries for three months owing to the lethargic attitude of the federal and provincial governments.
Talking to The News on Wednesday, the Punjab Lady Health Workers Association (PLHWA) president, Rukhsana Anwar said 52,000 LHWs had been without pay since April but the government demanded performance in immunization programme.
She said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had awarded them regular job status, but the bureaucracy did not accept the decision, adding that the LHWs were forced to bear immunization visits expenses from their own pockets.
Rukhsana said the PLHWA had decided to besiege the Punjab Assembly and observe Eid there. She said the government announced special bonus on festivals but the LHWs were not receiving even their salaries.
According to health officials, the LHWs are playing a vital role in EPI and administrating polio drops. The EPI campaign has benefited three million children and any suspension would affect millions of them.
Immunization is one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions. It has eradicated small pox, lowered the global incidence of polio so far by 99 per cent and achieved dramatic reductions in illness, disability and death from diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and measles.
It is a worldwide programme being carried out in all countries assisted by WHO, UNICEF and other donor agencies. The global target of the programme is to immunise over 95 per cent of infants and child-bearing age females.
These diseases are referred as 8 EPI target diseases and cause millions of ailments, disabilities and deaths each year. They are poliomyelitis, neonatal tetanus, measles, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis-B, pneumonia and meningitis and childhood tuberculosis.
Health experts say Pakistan continues to face considerable health challenges, and current progress lags behind international targets. The LHWs play a particularly important role for mothers and children by coordinating with traditional birth attendants and midwives to ensure that mothers receive adequate care.
Rukhsana said the employees of national programme for family planning and primary healthcare, including supervisors, LHWs, account supervisors and drivers had been deprived of their salaries for the last three months.
She said the LHWs were facing great hardships due to delay in release of salaries. The provincial authorities had assured them of releasing the three-month salaries this month but they were not sure whether or not the provincial government would fulfil the promise, she added. She said even Rs 250 per day daily stipend was not paid to many LHWs.