Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has directed the health department to physically verify the attendance of each and every Lady Health Workers (LHW). There are reports that some of them are ghost or involved in dual jobs. This he said while presiding over a meeting f Health Department, particularly on streamlining LHW here at the CM House.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Health Jam Mehtab Dahar, Principal Secretary to CM Alamuddin Bullo, Secretary Health Saeed Mangnijo, Special Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi and others. Minister Health Jam Mehtab Dahar said that there were 22,000 lady health workers all over Sindh. It was the concept of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto to deploy at least two LHW in each union council so that they could provide basic service to women at grass root level. "We have started proper training of LHW to provide basic health service at the initial stage," he said.
He pointed out that the total cost of LHW programme, including salaries and operational expenditures comes to Rs 5 billion annually but the federal government gives only Rs 2.5 billion. On this the chief minister directed the secretary health to take up the matter with the federal government and get the remaining amount released.
The chief minister said that he had solid reports that some of LHW were doing double job." They are drawing salaries from LHW programme and from other provincial department such as education department," he pointed out. Secretary Health Saeed Mangnijo said that he had started proper verification of the LHW. "I have ousted some 250 LHW who were involved in dual job and most of them were either had retired or died," he said. On this the chief minister directed the health department to further verify and try to develop their biometric attendance system.
Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah directed the health minister to personally monitor LHW training programme. "I want deployment of at least two LHW in each union council of Thar. Once their training is completed they would be providing basic health services in far flung areas of Thar," he said. The health department was working out a comprehensive plan to provide health services and facilities at Union Council level in Tharparkar.
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