Health assistants have held a sit-in in Baraigram, Natore with six-point demands. One of the demands is to amend the recruitment rules and provide 14th grade education and upgrade the salary scale to 11th grade through in-service diploma training and technical rank.
Health assistants took a stand in front of the Upazila Health Complex with banners containing their demands at the initiative of the Bangladesh Health Assistant Association on Tuesday.
The association's District President Md. Saikat Islam, Upazila General Secretary Ali Azgar, health assistants KM Wares Kaiser, Mrinmoy Kumar Sarkar and Ramprasad Sarkar spoke.
At this time, health assistants have been facing discrimination for a long time, and the association leaders said that more than 26,000 health assistants, assistant health inspectors, and health inspectors are working in various Upazila Health Complexes in the country. They work to prevent diseases among marginalized communities, provide advice on ways to get rid of diseases, and raise awareness about disease prevention.
They also implement the EPI program, administer TT/TD vaccinations to women aged 15-49, provide care to pregnant mothers and children, and provide pre- and post-natal care. But there has been no change in their positions to date.
There is extreme inequality in the salary structure. Therefore, they urged the concerned ministry to accept the demands of the health assistants.
