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| May 18, 2005 | Wednesday | Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1426 |
20,000 LHWs to be recruited: Aziz: A raise also pledged
LAHORE, May 17: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz announced here on Tuesday recruitment of 20,000 lady health workers and a raise in the salaries of those already working in appreciation of their performance all over the country.
Speaking at a convention of the LHWs at the Fortress Stadium, he announced that each of them would get a monthly salary of Rs2,200 instead of the existing Rs1,700, and their supervisors would be paid Rs4,000 each. The entire team of a district showing the best performance in two years would be given two salaries as bonus.
Governor Khalid Maqbool, Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Minister of State for Health Shahnaz Sheikh also spoke on the occasion.
A large number of LHWs from 16 of the districts in the Punjab attended the convention and braved the hottest day of the current summer so far in Lahore.
The prime minister said there were currently 80,000 LHWs and their number would touch 100,000 by the end of the year. The recruitment of the additional 20,000 LHWs would start soon, he added.
He appreciated the role of the LHWs in saving lives of mothers and children and giving valuable advice regarding the health of children below five years in far-off and less developed areas.
“We salute you for your efforts towards the drive against polio among children and tetanus among expecting mothers. At present, you are providing health services to around 60 per cent of the people in the country at their doorstep,” the prime minister said.
He said President Pervez Musharraf and his government wanted to provide better health facilities to the people for which it had provided additional resources.
The government had formulated implementable policies about the prevention and cure of diseases and was successful in delivering the best health cover to the people through efforts by people like the LHWs, he said.
He said for government these practitioners were very important because of the high mortality rate among mothers and children. The rate had lowered during the past few years, but still a lot needed to be done to save precious lives.
Realizing that no society could progress without women, he said, the government had taken several steps for their empowerment. A large number of women went to the assemblies because of the president’s efforts. Many others were also elected to the union councils and they were serving their communities very well, he said.
Mr Aziz welcomed the LHWs to the convention and said by attending it they would be able to share their experiences with one another. He hoped that they would continue to serve the people with more dedication.
Later, the prime minister gave away appointment letters to some of the newly-appointed LHWs.
The Punjab governor said the LHWs were in fact promoting Islamic culture and values. They were providing medical cover to the people, besides making them realize the importance of education.
He said the government would do everything for the betterment of the LHWs. “Such functions would continue to be held, showing the world that we not only believe in enlightened moderation but are also serving the people,” he said.
According to the chief minister, nurses having BSc degrees would be recruited in BS-17. Those already in service had been given BS-16 instead of BS-14, he said.
He was all praise for the LHWs’ professionalism, saying they were providing basic health facilities to women in emergencies. “We will resolve all your problems with the support of the federal government,” he pledged.
Pervaiz Elahi said the government was trying to provide more facilities to the basic health units so that LHWs could serve the ailing people more efficiently.
He said the government was also upgrading all medical centres and hospitals. It had earmarked Rs2 billion for the health sector in its current budget while next year the allocation would be Rs3 billion.
The chief minister recounted various steps his government had taken to improve health facilities in the province. He said two new burn units would be established in Multan and Faisalabad.
Ms Shahnaz Sheikh said the president had increased the number of the LHWs to 78,000 after he took over in 1999. By 2000, around 200,000 expecting mothers and 150,000 children under five years would die every year for want of proper medical care, she said.
Though the number had been reduced to a half, she said, a lot of ground was yet to be covered.
She said around 100,000 LHWs were serving people all over the country, but certain elements were running a negative campaign against the government instead of highlighting its positive steps.
Earlier, pop singer Jawad Ahmad enthralled the audience with his songs.
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