All Pakistan Lady Health Workers (LHWs) on Tuesday boycotted the polio campaign, EPI vaccination, TB dotts programme, malaria programme and daily reporting of their regular tasks till the fulfilment of their demands. In a programme initiated by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 1994, the LHWs were appointed on contract basis for three years but after the passage of 17 years they had not yet been regularised.
"On 13th May, 2010 we had staged a sit-in in front of the parliament house but to no avail we again staged a sit-in in front of the parliament house on 3rd June, 2010 and at that time Health department gave us a written assurance to sort out the issue but still nothing has happened" Bushra Arain Central Chairperson All Pakistan Lady Health Workers Employees Association (APLHWEA) told Business Recorder.
She recalled that Benazir Bhutto during a meeting with the representatives of LHWs in Karachi had also promised to regularise them and to increase their number while hiring 30,000 more LHWs. There are 130, 400 LHWs in Pakistan. Before 4th September 2010 they were not even considered as labourers. In this regard the LHWs association filed a petition in Supreme Court and the apex court in September 2010 issued an order to consider them as labourers.
In 1994, when this programme was initiated, the LHWs were hired on a salary of Rs 1,200 and LHS on Rs 3,300 but after the SC's order they started getting Rs 7,000. Bushra Arain said that a LHW who covers the population of 1,000 is getting Rs 7,000 whereas a Lady Health Supervisor (LHS) who basically covers the population of 25,000 to 30,000 is also getting Rs 7,000.
In some districts LHWs are not getting salaries for the last two months. In some cases they have not been paid salary for the last one year. Even the petrol and conveyance repair charges are not being paid, Noor Bano Mallah General Secretary of Sindh said. Government is running many national and international health programmes like TB dotts programme, malaria programme, polio vaccination programme etc through LHWs, but they have not been paid any thing extra, Noor Bano complained.
"We have only boycotted the extra work given to us and the reporting of our daily tasks but we are doing our regular job of visiting five to seven homes to check antenatal and postnatal pregnancies, child and mother vaccination, monitoring child growth, nutritional growth etc," Noor Bano said.
Police have filed 41 fake cases of terrorism against LHWs during a protest on National Highway; baton charged them and looted and took away everything including mobile phones, earrings, wallets. Police have also arrested some drivers and seized two Hiace pick-ups. APLHWEA demanded to end the fake cases against LHWs, return their valuables including vehicles and regularise the LHWs with immediate effect.