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Express Tribune
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Govt employees jam Peshawar in protest
In a rally that brought Peshawar to a grinding halt, thousands of government employees flooded Assembly Chowk on Wednesday, turning Khyber Road and nearby arteries into no-go zones for over 10 hours. They raised slogans for salary hikes, a Rs50,000 minimum wage and pension reforms. PHOTO: ONLINE The provincial capital witnessed a complete traffic standstill on Wednesday as thousands of government employees took to the streets, staging a massive protest and sit-in at Assembly Chowk that blocked Khyber Road and other key arteries, including access routes to hospitals, for over 10 hours. The protest, organised under the banner of the Government Employees Grand Alliance, began with a rally that marched from Government High School No. 1 to Assembly Chowk. Protesters raised slogans demanding a salary hike in line with federal scales, a minimum wage of Rs50,000 for labourers, and the restoration of the previous pension mechanism. Participants included members from all major departments, including teachers, clerks, and Lady Health Workers. The demonstrators rejected the recently introduced Contributory Pension Scheme (CPC), insisting on a return to the traditional pension model. In addition to salary parity and pension reform, protesters demanded the fulfilment of previous promises regarding the upgradation of teachers, and called for Lady Health Workers to be granted BPS-9 and BPS-15 based on seniority. Protesters said they had already held talks with the provincial finance adviser, but claimed he refused to accept their demands. As the demonstration entered its final stages, government representatives extended an invitation for negotiations. Talks were held between union leaders and a government committee, during which employees were assured that their demands would be reviewed and their concerns addressed. After several hours of protest, and in light of the government's assurance, the sit-in was called off peacefully.
Express Tribune
22-05-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Lady health workers end protest after deal
Following successful negotiations with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, Lady Health Workers have officially ended their protest sit-in outside the K-PAssembly. Ishrat Malik, Central General Secretary of the Shaheen Union of Lady Health Workers, announced that Provincial Health Minister Ehtesham Ali took immediate notice of the protest — held during an intense heatwave - and initiated formal talks with union representatives. The LHW delegation included Akhtar Bibi (Provincial President), Ishrat Malik (General Secretary), Rafasat Qamar, Naeema Bibi, and other union officials. During the meeting, the Health Minister assured that the official minutes would be shared within two days. He also confirmed that the Health Department had finalized a promotion and regularization plan for 12,439 LHWs, structured under a four-year framework and now ready to be submitted to relevant departments. According to the plan, promotions will be granted from scale 5 up to scale 14 based on seniority and a percentage-based formula. Under this framework, 40 percent of the workers will be promoted to scale 9, another 30 percent to scale 9 under a separate criterion, 20 percent to scale 12, and the remaining 10 percent to scale 14. The Minister further assured that a summary of the plan would be sent to the Finance Department within days. He praised the critical role played by LHWs in providing healthcare in remote, conflict-affected, and snow-bound areas, emphasizing that public health operations would be unmanageable without their commitment and sacrifice. In view of the government's assurances and considering the harsh conditions faced by the protestors, Minister Ali urged the LHWs to end their sit-in and return home. Responding positively, the Shaheen Union officially called off the two-day protest and expressed appreciation for the government's responsiveness. Ishrat Malik also extended her gratitude to the media for their extensive coverage and support, which she said played a key role in drawing attention to the LHWs' demands and accelerating the negotiation process.
Express Tribune
15-03-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Media urged to address rapid population growth
The media has a vital role to play in advancing the population management agenda in Pakistan, particularly in addressing the challenges posed by rapid population growth — a major hurdle to national progress and development. This was the central theme of the National Media Coalition Meeting on Harnessing Media for Positive Social Change, organised by the Population Council with the support of UNFPA. Journalists from leading media outlets across Pakistan participated, emphasising the media's power to shape public discourse, and policy action. In his welcome remarks, Population Council's Senior Director, Dr Ali Mir, stressed the urgency of tackling Pakistan's rapid population growth, which threatens economic stability, resource distribution, and the country's ability to meet its development goals. He highlighted the increasing strain on public services such as healthcare, education, and employment, underscoring the need for collective action. "The media has the power to inform, educate, and influence public perception, ultimately driving policies that promote sustainable population growth. By shedding light on key issues, journalists can mobilize action and help address the challenges posed by an expanding population," he stated. Population Council's Director Communication, Ali Mazhar Choudhary, led a session on effectively mainstreaming the population agenda through media. Coalition members worked on a strategic plan to advance the narrative of sustainable population growth, identifying key focus areas for media coverage. These included the links between rapid population growth and climate change, women's empowerment, female education, the integration of population welfare indicators in the NFC Award, political will, the role of Lady Health Workers (LHWs) in family planning, and incorporating family planning services into social protection networks.
Express Tribune
07-03-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
CM approves four-year health improvement plan
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has approved a four-year health improvement plan (2025-2029) focused on enhancing community outreach, strengthening routine immunisation efforts, and improving governance within the healthcare sector across the province. The decision was made during a high-level meeting he chaired at his office where the key performance indicators of the Health Department were reviewed and targets were outlined to ensure universal access to quality and affordable healthcare services, with a particular focus on women and children. The meeting was attended by Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Sindh Ombudsman Sohail Rajput, PSCM Agha Wasif, Chairman P&D Najam Shah, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, Health Secretary Rehan Baloch, and Population Secretary Hafiz Abbasi. The current routine immunisation coverage in Sindh stands at 69%. In an attempt to raise this figure to 95%, the government plans to recruit 5,500 Lady Health Workers (LHWs) and Community Health Workers (CHWs) by 2025-2026. They will be equipped with 5,250 medical kits and IT tools, including mobile phones with GPS tracking. Moreover, 3,500 vaccinators and technical staff, such as Cold Chain Engineers and Software Engineers, will be hired. This initiative will be supported by the provision of 21,084 pieces of equipment, including temperature monitoring devices, fridge tags, mobile phones, SIM cards, and motorbikes. An important element of this plan includes the introduction of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, with a target of 2.8 million vaccinations by 2028-2029. This will be facilitated by enhancements in the cold chain system and waste management processes, which include the installation of solar energy solutions at 35 divisional centers. CM Shah approved the establishment of 11 new Nutrition Stabilisation Centres (NSCs) and 714 additional Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) sites by 2025-2026. This project is designed to treat 1.24 million malnourished children under the age of five. The nutritional interventions will include the provision of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), as well as F-75 and F-100 supplements, alongside operational support for 17 stabilisation centres.
Express Tribune
16-02-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
K-P releases Rs440m to settle IHP salaries
PESHAWAR: On the directives of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Advisor Ehtesham Ali, Rs440 million has been released to clear three months' pending salaries of over 4,500 employees of the Integrated Health Program (IHP). In his statement, the Health Advisor assured that all employees would receive their salaries before Ramazan. He instructed the relevant authorities to ensure timely transfers of payments to employees' accounts without delay. Emphasizing the need for reforms to streamline project operations, he stated that no employee's salary would be withheld. "There is no place in my team for those who cannot deliver," he asserted. Expressing concern over frequent salary delays and protests for project extensions, Ehtesham Ali directed officials to begin preparations for the upcoming budget immediately. He urged consultations with stakeholders to ensure efficient financial planning and prevent such disruptions in the future. The advisor further stated that the next Annual Development Program (ADP) would include only those schemes that enhance service delivery and benefit the public, rather than launching unnecessary new projects. Background In December 2024, The Express Tribune reported that IHP, jointly managed by the Lady Health Workers (LHWs) program and the nutrition initiative, faces severe financial constraints, hindering its effectiveness. Official sources said that both programs have fallen short of their targets due to insufficient funding. Approximately 4,000 IHP employees have gone without salaries for the past five months, receiving payment only once during this period, according to a health department official. Introduced in 2014 across all four provinces, the IHP underwent challenges after the 18th amendment, requiring individual provinces to create their PC-1 plans. The previous government's Rs7.5 billion PC-1, developed by consultants from Punjab without a baseline survey, displayed numerous shortcomings, including the delayed recruitment of Lady Health Workers and trained community midwives over four years. Despite completing their two-year training, these midwives remain unutilized, incurring significant costs to the health department, supported by international donor organizations. Additionally, LHWs and CMWs lack access to government-provided medicines. The IHP's primary goal is to reduce maternal deaths during childbirth from 165 per 1,000 to 40. Stabilization centers face similar challenges, with no available food supplements despite the declared nutrition emergency in the province. Only Unicef is currently providing food supplements to select districts, while the government struggles to recruit nutrition specialists and purchase food supplements due to financial constraints. Targets for underweight childbirths have been substantially missed, raising concerns about the project's overall efficacy.
