LHWs threaten protest sit-in across Chitral

CHITRAL: Hundreds of lady health workers (LHWs) from across Chitral on Monday held a protest demonstration, demanding pay raise and proper salary structure.

The LHWs protest was arranged on the call of Lady Health Workers Association (LHWA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Most of the protesting women were carrying suckling children and chanting slogans for acceptance of their longstanding demands.

Speaking on the occasion, LHWA Chitral president Asya Bibi, senior vice president Sadia Mansoor, secretary Shahina Mehmood,  finance secretary Zahida Muzaffar, press secretary Harira and others complained that for years neither their salaries had been increased nor the government was ready to give them a service structure.

They said a lady health worker is appointed at grade five and after working for whole life they retire in the same grade when their toke home salary does not increase beyond Rs18,000.

They said the LHWs were appointed in 1996 and since then they have been working regularly in the field of mother and child health and expanded programme for immunization (EPI).

Despite promises made by the previous government, the LHWs have not been given any pay raise and are working without any service structure.

The government also failed to implement a judgement of the Supreme Court regarding formulating a service structure and upgrading the LHWs.

The protesters warned that if their demands were not fulfilled, they would stage protest sit-in across Chitral to get their rights.–Syed Nazir Hussain Shah