AMRAIZ KHAN
Pen-down strike by the Punjab Lady Health Visitors (LHVs) on Thursday has jeopardized the polio vaccination across the province.
A good number of LHVs staged a sit-in in front of Punjab Assembly in favor of their demands and most of them were of the view that they would not end their protest till acceptance of their demands.
Patron in Chief the PLHVs Nadia said that instead of any negotiation from the authorities concerned a Parliamentarian from Haroonabad and Project Director Integrated Rural Maternal Nutrition Child Health (IRMNCH) Dr. Kahlil ur Rehman visited them on the venue and took six to seven LHVs to DG Health office cooper road for negotiation. But there they instead of any negotiation they asked us to end the protest and go home failing which they threatened us of dire consequences. They said that Director General Health and Secretary Health were not in office. She was of the view that the only thing that they did was they said that they would constitute a committee to look into the matter.
Various participants were carrying placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands. Their demands included “Give us grade 14”, “Proper promotion channel for LHV should be devised”, “Regularise our services”, “Risk allowance should be issued to LHVs”.
Another LHV Farkhanda said if the government does not pay heed towards our genuine demands, we will continue our protest and will not go to work. Our strike could hinder polio vaccination across the Punjab, she added. She said, “We work as LHV as a dispenser, or Expanding Program of Immunization (EPI), work as computer operators, and maintain Online data.
