AKHS employees on strike in Chitral
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the representatives of the employees said the non-cooperative attitude of the AKHSP management towards the resolution of their genuine demands had forced them to go on the strike. They said the staff members would continue the strike till the acceptance of their three main service-related demands.
A total of 90 staff members from 18 primary healthcare centers and two secondary care hospitals, majority of them female professionals, have suffered a lot during the strike. But they have decided to continue their strike even during the holidays of Eidul Azha. However, the management is still ignoring the services of the employees and the hardships faced by the community due to the ongoing strike.
The employees asked the management of the AKHSP to accept their three main demands. They said the first demand was about proper service structure which should be announced for the employees without any further delay.
Secondly, the staff should be compensated for the extra duty hours. The third demand is to bring their salary package at par with the government healthcare departments and other ISO-certified organizations.
Despite repeated attempts by ChitralToday, the officials concerned of the AKHSP Chitral could not be contacted for their comments on the matter.]]>
Though there is no confirmation from the AKHSP, we have been informed by some of the employees that the management has assured them of resolving their issues. The employees said that on this assurance they called off their strike. Therefore, we have decided to close further comments on the story.–Editor
Are we not aware of how effectively the AKHSP has been performing in Chitral, especially during the last decade? It is not certain accidental event that determines how an organization is performing, rather there are indicators. And several indicators including reduction in maternal, neonatal and child mortality rates in Chitral suggest that the AKHSP has been performing exceptionally well. The credit for all these achievements and for expanding the reach of the AKHSP to several far flung villages of Chitral, definitely goes to the current management of the AKHSP. Let us not forget all this as well!
Whether this event is unfortunate is indeed debatable. Because no matter how extreme the case maybe, the final outcome of this strike must help serve the AKHSP Chitral family emerge stronger. And we shall find the AKHSP mature further as an organization, when the storm finally subsides. Every single organization on earth may have employees who are dissatisfied one way or another with their employers, work environment or working conditions. Only strong, visionary and able leadership at the top helps effectively deal with such situations. And I am pretty sure that the leadership and management at AKHSP Chitral as well as at the national level has the vision, ability and resources to effectively deal with this situation and to take every member of the AKHSP family onboard to help continue with their noble cause of helping the underprivileged communities. This is pertinent to note that it was the same management of the AKHSP that has so effectively dealt with several situations of crisis during the last few years and has not let any challenging situation hamper their progress towards their vision.
Dear Editor,
I have gone through all the commnents what our honourable writers have made, someone has appraised AKHS,P management while other others have criticised negatively. It is very important to collect authentic and reliable information on the subject before giving any comments. Unfortunately most of the writers utilize such opportunities to take revenge from the individuals who are associated with the organization. I have just contacted one of the staff who had participated in the strike and confirmed that the AKHS,P management has successfully managed the issue and more than 80% of the genuine concerns of the staff have been addressed. So, it it is my humble request to the honourable writers not to politicise such issue for their personal interests.
Many writers have directly hit the management of AKHS,P and have highlighted the weak areas of management in Chitral; However, we should be little generous in highlighting great achievement of AKHS,P in Chitral. It is important to mention here that provision and retaining of Gynecologist in remote in isolated areas of CHitral like RHC Shagram Trokhow and THQ Garumchashma is not an easy task; however AKHS,P made it possible through effective management. The Credit goes to regional Management of AKHS,P. Secondly 25 years back there was no single local LHV/Nursing in the district, now AKHS,P has trained number local staff who are serving in AKHS,P health facilities as well as government health facilities in Chitral and Neighbouring district Dir.
Dear Editor,
The strike of AKHSP employees (unfortunately someone quoted them as low graders which is derogatory) has upset us alot as there are forums where these issues could be resolved. But over the years we have seen that first AKES, P and now AKHS,P employees decided to go public with their demands and are protesting for their rights. Since I am not privy to such information whether they had formally raised the issue to concerned authorities collectively, or to the honorary set ups there. No matter what, if someone is being underpaid they should be remunerated at par with the changing demands of the market. However, here my point is different. I have gone through all the above replies and feel distressed because of one thing and that is-everyone has opened up their guns on AKHS,P like anything, some have gone to an extent that they object an officer having a designated vehicle given by the company as if that person has snatched it from somewhere. A positive criticism is what keep us going whereas here an issue, which could be, and still can be resolved through negotiations between the employer and the employees by involving arbitration ; is being hijacked by some vested interests. My appeal to the younger generation is, please do not try to put salt on the wounds, for as nothing achieved by force is long lasting and sustainable. Thank you. Saif.
The demands through strike of the staff is their rights but here we should not have to forget the services which AKHSP is doing from many years in Chitral as well as in other part of the world.
We should not hit the AKHSP management in this time, instead we have to thought about the past that there were no awareness programs, no clinic, no medical centers, maternal and neonatal death were raising day by day. So now if these facilities are available here in chitral then this credit goes to the AKHSP management. This is the AKHSP management which creates so many doctors who are famous not only in Chitral but in Pakistan, well experienced nurses, appreciable administration and HR, these all are due to a good management with a professional institution Head.
I am not against of the strike here, but i would request if we remember the services of AKHSP too instead of identifying the limitation and saying the management is poor this is not fare.
Thanks
Is there anybody who can write to the ISO what the AKHS Chitral is into in a backward area like Chitral? The people should wage a jihad against these people who have destroyed these institutions for their own vested interest. Doctors are drawing salaries by sitting home. Nobody takes any action when an ordinary medical officer misbehaves with patients. Nobody questions when a hospital turns into a political camp office of a particular political party. The patients are openly threatened to vote for a particular person or they will not be given treatment. The people lodged numerous complaints against a particular ordinary MO who was later sent for higher studies and is being given salary in six digits. Is this justified? A poor nurse is exploited despite the fact that she is more experienced than an ordinary MO. The AKHSP management is requested that the doctors who are on study leave must not be given salaries unless they report back after completing their studies. The AKHS Chitral needs a complete overhaule as it has completely turned into family business of a particular lobby. No action is being taken. Whenever something bad happens, a munshi is sitting there who embarks upon an ‘aplogy tour’ seeking forgiveness for the accused for the sake of Allah. This practice must stop and the AKHS Chitral seriously needs to put its house in order as the aplogy thing is not going to work in the long run.
The poverty reflects from the gloomy faces of these protesting employees. Those having managerial positions could be seen as young as a 25 years old man/woman even at the age of 50 plus because they eat up all the resources of AKHS Chitral.
Most of these protesting employees are quite young people but the poverty rather the exploitation has forced them to bear the brunt for the sake few pieces of papers printed by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in order to survive in the society.
My message to these people: never give up, because the winner never quits and the quitter never wins, so keep fingers crossed and snatch your rights. Stick to the message of Imran Khan as says: “Jo haar nehi manta us ko haar kabi nehi hara sakta”. Wish you all the best guys.
Dear Editor,
This is indeed very shocking that the Aga Khan Health Service, Pakistan (AKHSP) is exploiting its backbone cadre employees in a very unacceptable manner. On the one hand the AKHSP claims to be an ISO certified service company- acceding generally, to the universal theme for an ISO certification ” Do what you say and Say what you do”, on the other hand its behavior within its own family members-its employees- remains debasing and exploitative. The AKHSP is a subsidiary agency of the world renowned Aga Khan Developing Network (AKDN) and it is very hypocritical of a developmental network having such a high-standing international acclamation to condone the very genuine demands of its staff thereby compelling them to go on strike like an entrepreneurial entity.
The AKDN especially the AKHSP need to rethink of its exploiting attitudes of a typical yonder days’ ‘Hindu Banayya’- as the majority of its top echelon operators come from a community of small oft-exploitative traders! The AKDN agencies in Pakistan also need to look at their remuneration vis-à-vis the packages of other prestigious national and trans-national organizations like the UN: Resultantly they would bow their head in humiliation if they have any regard for international mannerism and ethics, let alone standards and quality.
best of luck..
The AKHSP Chitral witnessed many ups and downs under the leadership of the incumbent general manager. Incidents from the murder of a female staff, the delivery mishaps at the hands of untrained LHVs and so on and so forth. Now the paramedics have warned to hold the sit-in even on eid day unless their issues are resolved. This shows there is a serious problem at the administration level. Is this justified that a nurse working with a government hospital is drawing Rs50,000 salary while a more qualified nurse hardly meets ends? Why the local management has failed to highlight the basic issues with the high ups despite passage of so many years and paved the way for protests? This is nothing but sheer incompetence on part of the local management. They have no issues as they are enjoying in the latest model land rovers worth Rs5000000 from one corner of Chitral to another. And sometimes even the helicopter is at their disposal. I just want to ask: does any of these people both in honourary and permanent set up deserve such facilities? The answer is straight ‘NO’. So Mr and Mrs whoever is looking after the affairs of AKHSP pls save this prestigious institution from any further damage by sending these incomptent people home and appointing a competent outsider to regain the lost glory of AKHS Chitral.
This is very unfortunate to see that the low-grade employees of AKHS Chitral are being treated like the children of lesser god. The people at the managerial positions are drawing hefty salaries, perks and privileges. The irony is that if an ordinary medical officer somehow manages to go on study leave despite all his/her poor track record, he/she is still facilitated. They are given the salaries under the pretext that they would come back and serve the people. But in fact the people of the area had complained to the management about their rude behaviour on numerous occasions. A poor lady health visitor or any other staff is always there round the clock despite all the exploitation. The AKHS Pakistan high ups are requested to take notice of the issue or else the local people will also join these protesting paramedics. At the same time the AKHS should also stop salaries to those doctors who are still drawing salaries despite being study leave.