Staff Reporter :
The community health care providers on Saturday began sit-in programme in front of National Press Club after observing three-day work abstention across the country.
They observed work abstention from Wednesday to Thursday and staged in front of all civil surgeons’ offices to realise their demand for nationalisation of their jobs.
They have been observing their movement under the banner of Bangladesh Community Health Care Providers Association (BCHCPA). Several hundred community health care providers from all over the country started their sit-in along the roads in front of the Jatiya Press Club from Saturday morning.
They hold banners, placards and festoons alongside loudspeakers to press home their demand.
BCHCPA Convener Shahidul Islam said that they had given enough time to the authorities concerned to nationalise their jobs.
‘We would not go home unless our demand is not met,’ he said.
Shahidul said that they were working on a muster roll with a salary equivalent to grade 14 of the national pay scale though they work in the key health sectors like maternal, neonatal and adolescent health.
He said that they wanted nationalisation of jobs, because they did not get other service benefits like the ones enjoyed by nationalised employees. Shahidul lamented that the health ministry assured them time and again of nationalising their jobs but it remained stalled.
According to Shahidul, the High Court responded to a 2016 writ petition by ordering to nationalise their jobs.
He said, ‘We would go for non-stop sit-in in front of National Press Club until January 31 and if our demand is not met by this time, we would go for hunger strike from February 1.
The BCHCPA leaders said that community health care providers are taking primary health services to the doorsteps of rural people through about 13,500 community clinics across the country.
Abul Hashem Khan, the Line Director of Community Based Health Care under Health Services said, they were now using other health workers to run the services at community clinics.
Abul Hashem Khan, said the nationalisation of community health care providers’ jobs required a policy decision.
‘I have informed the high-authority and they would consider their demand for nationalisation,’ he said.
