KARACHI: A large number of lady health workers (LHW) protested Thursday against non-payment of salaries for the past five months.
The disconcerted health workers protested outside Polo Ground in the city. However, since no official came to hear their grievance, the protesters marched towards the Chief Minister’s House.
According to the LHWs, they have not been paid for the past five months.
The protesting LHWs blocked the road from Shaheen Complex to PIDC disrupting the flow of traffic. However, the workers dismissed this saying they would not disperse until their demands are heard.
A heavy contingent of police present in the area was barring the protesters from moving towards the Red Zone of the city.
The protest was not the first carried out by LHWs. Multiple protests and sit-ins have been carried out by agitated health workers, who are the ones on the front line when drives such as those against polio are carried out. Some have even lost their lives in the line of duty.
Not only in Sindh but across Pakistan LHWs have been protesting since a few years for various reasons, including those pertaining to their upgradation, regularisation and non-payment of salaries. However, no proper system has been put in place for the workers to continue duty in a smooth manner.