Women health workers protest seeking regularisation, timely payment of salaries in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir

Working as health workers under the Maternal Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) Programme these women are surviving on merely a monthly remuneration of 8,000 Pakistani Rupees, reports Indian news agency ANI.

They alleged they have not received salary on time.

A protester told ANI, “I want to demand the Prime Minister, Chief Secretary and Chief Justice of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to fulfil all demands of our sisters and give them justice. If not, the PoK will face a tsunami similar to 2005. We will stop the supply of electricity and other essential resources to Pakistan”.

As many as 1,218 employees were inducted into the MNCH programme in 2007 against the positions of managers, doctors, lady health visitors, community midwives, clerks and drivers.

Facing insecurity for the past several years, they are now demanding the government to fulfil its commitment to regularise their services and bring them on a normal budget, the Indian news agency reported.

A female protester told ANI, “They have totally banned us. We are not able to attend to our duties. This is injustice. The government must awaken and we request them to issue a notification to regularize us. Those who are still on contract need to be given permanent letter”.