The Expanded Programme on Immunisation technicians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday warned that they would boycott the upcoming anti-polio campaign if the salary withheld for many months was not paid to them by April 10.
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The warning was issued during a news conference addressed by All EPI/Gavi Employees Association president Irfanullah Khan at the Peshawar Press Club. Other office-bearers of the association Malik Qamar, Asfandyar, Sarfraz Durrani and Imran Shah were also in attendance. Irfanullah Khan said salary of more than 272 EPI/Gavi technicians had been pending for seven months but the health department didn’t bother about their misery. “We have been protesting and even demonstrated outside the residence of PTI chairman Imran Khan in Islamabad but the salary has not been released despite assurances,” he said.
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The association’s president also complained that the health department had yet to regularise the services of EPI/Gavi technicians. He said the EPI/Gavi project would end by the end of June this year but the government was indifferent to the misery of technicians. Irfanullah complained honorarium had not been paid to health workers for four months though they played a key role in the fight against polio in the province. He demanded early payment of pending salary and regularisation of the technicians’ services. The association’s president said EPI technicians would stage another protest outside the PTI chairman’s Islamabad house if dues were not paid by next Friday (April 10).
