PESHAWAR: Lady health workers have expressed concern over the delay in upgradation of their posts and demanded of the government to fulfil its commitment regarding approval of the health workers’ service structure.

They also threatened a hunger strike outside the provincial assembly on the issue.

Addressing a joint news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Monday, office bearers of various groups of Lady Health Workers said that they had time and again requested the relevant officials of the health department, but no one helped them.

“The government should promote lady health workers beyond scale five. Despite the passing of two resolutions by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, it is not being implemented to provide facilities for coordination and regularisation of lady health workers,” a speaker said.

Demand service structure, allowances

She lamented that the director general did not have time to pay attention to the problems of lady health workers.

She also said the salaries of lady health workers were often delayed for five and six months, due to which their families had to face serious financial issues.

Shaheen Bibi of the Lady Health Workers Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa announced that the health workers would start observing hunger strikes until death in front of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from May 6 if their demands were not resolved at the earliest.

Akhtar Bibi of the All Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Lady Health Staff Union said on one side, they were facing life threats from militants during immunization campaigns , while on the other side, the government was committing economic genocide against them.

“Since 2012, we have been holding BPS-5 despite administering polio drops to children in areas prone to rains, storms and earthquakes as frontline health workers,” she said.

The speakers said LHWs were facing many issues as the provincial government was not paying proper attention towards their problems.

“Our salary is insufficient and cannot meet the routine expenditures with the inflation rate. And the things we are deprived of, which are our demands, are absolutely legitimate,” a speaker said.

She complained that LHWs had demonstrated for rights many times but got false promises only.

The speakers said all LHWs should be given the relevant allowance and that their colleagues in 19 districts were already availing their facilities but in the rest of the areas, they were neglected.

Rafasit Qamar, Naeema Bibi and Ishrat Malik said in the hot weather, LHWs had stepped out of their homes to raise voice for their due rights.

They demanded that all LHW posts be upgraded and workers be exempted from extra duty like all employees.

The speakers said LHWs should also be given the relevant allowances.

They warned LHWs would go on a hunger strike until death from May 6 in front of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly if their problems were not addressed and their upgradation and service regularisation were not notified.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2025