Six Months Without Salaries: KP Healthcare on the Brink

Peshawar: The healthcare system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is facing paralysis as hundreds of project employees have gone unpaid for the last six months, raising fears of a collapse in essential medical services.

Workers Left Stranded

Employees associated with various provincial health initiatives — including lady health workers, supervisors, drivers, and staff under the Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) programme — have been struggling without salaries since early this year. Many report being unable to pay household expenses, school fees, or utility bills, while some have been forced to take loans just to survive.

Even though around 70 MNCH employees were regularised through an act of the provincial assembly, the official notification confirming their status has not been issued. Without this document, their pay cannot be released.

Public Health at Risk

The crisis is already weakening frontline health services. Programmes that rely heavily on these workers — including maternal and child care, vaccination drives, and polio eradication campaigns — face major setbacks. In several districts, staff morale is so low that essential services risk being suspended if the issue remains unresolved.

Healthcare officials warn that maternal and infant mortality rates, already a concern in the province, could worsen if staff shortages or boycotts disrupt fieldwork.

Bureaucratic Delays and Financial Freeze

The delay stems from a combination of budgetary bottlenecks and administrative red tape. Funds have not been released on time, and necessary approvals and notifications remain stuck at various government levels.

Although some employees have technically been brought into the regular service structure, the absence of follow-through has left them in limbo, with no income for half a year.

Growing Anger and Protest Threats

Frustrated workers have repeatedly warned authorities that if their dues are not cleared, they will boycott duties, including participation in national health campaigns and election assignments. Such action would not only cripple health service delivery but also disrupt key national initiatives.

Call for Urgent Action

With families under immense strain and health services on the verge of collapse, stakeholders are calling on the provincial government and finance department to immediately release funds and issue the long-pending notifications. Failure to act swiftly could push the already fragile healthcare sector into a full-blown crisis.

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