Karachi [Pakistan], July 18 : Lady Health Workers (LHWs) in Pakistan's Sindh province have warned of province-wide protests if the government does not reverse a reported 75 per cent reduction in the operational budget of the Lady Health Workers Programme and increase financial support, Dawn reported.
According to Dawn, representatives of the All Lady Health Workers Programme Union (ALHWPU) announced at a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club that their first protest demonstration would take place in Karachi next week if their demands remain unaddressed.
As reported by Dawn, ALHWPU Chairperson Bushra Arian accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government of attempting to dismantle a programme launched by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto more than three decades ago. She said the initiative was designed to deliver healthcare services directly to communities and vowed that workers would continue their struggle to protect what she described as Bhutto's vision.
Dawn reported that the union alleged the government had first slashed the programme's operational budget by 75 per cent and then transferred the available funds to a private company whose governing board has yet to be constituted.
According to the union, the funding cut has left lady health workers without essential medicines and healthcare kits, while supervisors are struggling due to a lack of fuel allowances, severely affecting field monitoring and programme implementation.
The union further claimed, Dawn reported, that the programme's historic name had been removed from the provincial budget documents and changes to its organisational structure indicated a gradual move towards outsourcing or privatisation. Union representatives argued that such measures violate a 2013 Supreme Court order under which more than 105,000 lady health workers were regularised, as well as commitments made by the government following previous protest sit-ins.
According to Dawn, the union warned that weakening the programme would not only affect thousands of employees but also deprive vulnerable communities across Sindh of essential healthcare services.