Jajarkot, July 11

Agitating health workers halted all services demanding salary due since five months from today at Jajarkot District Hospital.

The agitating health workers said that they had not been provided remuneration for the past five months.

Yesterday, they submitted a memorandum at the District Administration Office and at the municipality office today after which they staged a sit-in.

Health workers, who had been providing services with black bands on their arms for the past two weeks, shut all the departments except the emergency ward since the past one week.

Following the agitation, hundreds of service seekers have been unable to avail services. They now have no option but to return empty-handed.

Fifty-seven health workers and 34 other staffers and health workers serving at Bheri Municipality were deprived of their salary for want of timely release of the budget. “Earlier, there was no problem with the distribution of salary. However, after local representatives assumed the responsibility of the local government, we have been facing problems,” said health workers.

Meanwhile, Jajarkot District Hospital Chief Dr Rajendra Lama said that health workers and other staffers at the health facility had not been provided monthly salary and allowance since the month of March, while health workers and staffers in all the health facilities of Bheri Municipality were deprived of their salary since January.

“Nobody took our concerns seriously even at the end of the fiscal. The agitation will, therefore, continue until our demands are met. All the services will be brought to a grinding halt,” said Lama.