I HAD heard a lot about the exploitation of workers in the private sector, but nothing had prepared me for the experience I recently had myself. I was diagnosed with a serious thyroid condition, and my doctors recommended surgery along with complete rest. Acting upon medical advice of doctors, I applied for a three-month medical leave. However, despite repeated requests, my application was not processed. Even after submitting a medical certificate clearly recommending surgery and rest, the approval was delayed.

To make matters much worse during this difficult period, I continued receiving calls and messages regarding official work, even beyond office hours. This caused mental anguish and stress at a time when I needed peace, rest and medical care.

Ultimately, after considerable delay, my leave was approved. My whole point is that medical leave is not a privilege, and should not be granted as some sort of a favour. It is a welfare measure intended to ensure the health, dignity and recovery of employees. Delays in processing genuine medical leave applications can aggravate illness and create avoidable hardship. This concern is particularly significant for female employees and patients undergoing serious medical treatment or surgery.

The government should issue strict instructions to all public and private organisations to ensure that medical leave applications, supported by authentic medical certificates, are processed promptly. Such measures would promote employee welfare, uphold human dignity, and encourage a more humane and responsive administrative culture.

Anaiza Hira
Dera Ghazi Khan

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2026