LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly passed a bill on Thursday, making 48,000 lady health workers permanent employees, Express News reported.
According to the bill – named Punjab Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Authority Bill 2014 – around 1,947 supervisory staff will also be regularised.
The Lady Health Workers programme was suspended after the 18th Amendment as health issues were transferred from the federal government to the provinces. Due to the absence of proper provincial legislation, the issue of lady health workers was left hanging in midair.
The Punjab Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Authority will now be responsible for the lady health workers who will be issued confirmation letters as soon as the governor signs the bill.