Lady health workers’ protest in Lahore enters third day

LAHORE: As the protest of lady health workers (LHW) in the city entered its third day on Wednesday, demonstration site Mall Road turned into a garbage dump.

According to sources, trash has accumulated on the thoroughfare as Lahore Waste Management Company staff has not cleaned the road ever since the protest started.

However, the health workers continue to demonstrate for their demands.

Their number has gone down over three days, but the agitated health workers who were still part of the sit-in said they would happily return home once a services structure for them is signed by Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Other women part of the protest said authorities concerned should heed the demand of the agitated health workers, who have left their children at home to push the government to pay their withheld salaries and issue an approved service structure.

On March 26, the workers started a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly over non-payment of salaries.

“We haven’t been paid for five months now,” a protester said. While another added saying that they last received an increment in 2012.

“Our demonstration will continue till our demands are met,” a health worker stressed.

Following this, the government allowed the release of arrears worth Rs1.2 billion for the lady health workers. The amount will reach the LHWs within 15 days.

The health workers have been protesting since a few years for various reasons, including those pertaining to their upgradation, regularisation or non-payment of salaries, across Pakistan.

However, no proper system has been put in place for the workers to continue their duty in a smooth manner.