Some Nuristan health workers unpaid from past one year

PARON (Pajhwok): Public health staff members in eastern Nuristan province have accused AHEAD NGO for not paying their one year salaries.

Around 400 health staff members claimed the NGO held three years contract to pay salaries for health workers and offer other health services but they disappeared suddenly and left everything unpaid.

Dr. Shokrullah, a physician in the Dr. Parween Health Centre in Paron, said AHEAD NGO held contract for the provision of health services in Nuristan during past government.

The NGO, he said was responsible for the provision of health services and payment of health staff members’ salaries in line with the contract inked with the officials of the previous regime.

He asked current government officials to listen to them and pay their salaries because all of them were struggling financially.

Dr. Saifurrahman, another member of a health centre, said AHEAD NGO did not pay the salaries of doctors in the province and its officials went disappeared.

“After several efforts last year in August, health officials were about to cancel the contract with AHEAD NGO but due to regime changes things did not went as planned,” he said.

He said later a new contract was signed with Swedish NGO and it was pledged that salaries of staff-members will be paid but despite pledges they were not paid.

Nuristan Health Department Director Rohullah Adel acknowledged AHEAD NGO did not pay health staff members salary worth 60 million afs.

“I don’t know where are the officials of AHEAD NGO now, in the past nobody could force them for salary payment because they were the members of Mafia group.”

Pajhwok reporter tried to get in touch with AHEAD NGO HEAD Asad Fayaz but contact was not established with him because his cell phone was switched off.