Health assistants to go on strike from Wednesday with six-point demand

The Bangladesh Health Assistant Association will go on an indefinite strike across the country from Wednesday, October 1, demanding the implementation of a six-point demand, including amendments to the recruitment rules and the elimination of pay disparities.

On Sunday, the leaders of the organisation submitted a memorandum to the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services, urging the authorities to accept their demands immediately.

Health assistants said that despite being subjected to discrimination in technical rank and pay scale for a long time, the authorities have not taken effective measures. They added that although they have carried out vital responsibilities such as vaccinating children against 10 deadly diseases, they have been deprived of due recognition.

They alleged that despite assurances given in 2018, 2020, and this year, the problems have not been resolved. As a result, the association has been forced to resort to strike action.

Due to the strike, the activities of around 120,000 outreach EPI vaccination centres across the country will remain suspended. At the same time, the scheduled typhoid vaccination campaign on October 12 will also be postponed indefinitely.

The association’s demands include amending the recruitment rules, incorporating a bachelor’s degree in educational qualifications, providing 14th grade, and upgrading the pay scale. The leaders expressed hope that the current government will take prompt initiatives considering their logical demands.