The agitating volunteers have demanded wages for 100 days per year, a one-off gratuity of Rs 200,000 after retirement, life and accident insurance worth Rs 200,000 and establishment of social security fund, among others. [break]
“We have been compelled to launch protests,” said Surkhet President of the Nepal Female Community Health Volunteers Association Shanta Khadka. She also warned of unpleasant consequences if their demands are not met by the government.
The agitating volunteers picketed DPHO for half-an-hour starting from 10 am complaining that the government had neglected them despite their enormous contribution in the field of health services.
“We have even risked our lives to raise awareness about health issues. But the government has not appreciated our efforts,” said Khairun Nisha, who has worked for over 15 years as health volunteer in the Muslim community of Belghari. Nisha claimed that Nepal has been able to take significant strides in maternal health due to the sincere efforts of female community health volunteers.
DPHO Surkhet said there are around 1,000 female community health volunteers working in the district. The volunteers get a daily allowance of Rs 200 on days when vaccines are administered.
They are being given Rs 3,000 annually for clothing since last year but receive nothing else. “We would have become pensioners by now, had we been employed in the government service,” another health volunteer Birma Shrestha rued.
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