By Charles Gbayor in Maryland County, Liberia
Nurses at the J.J Dossein referral Hospital in Harper City, in Maryland County recently threatened to go slow in demand for four months salaries. The nurses said they have not been paid their salaries for four months and it is affecting their families.
In a communication to the County Health Officer Dr. Methadus George, dated July 23 2018, the aggrieved health workers say they have officially notified his office of untold burden faced by members of the Health workers assigned and actively working in the County.
They said since March 2018 up to July they had not received their salaries and incentives from the Government of Liberia, which put serious financial burden on their families’ survival.
The communication said they have engaged the county health authorities on separate occasions, but there has been no favorable response to their situation. According to the nurses, they have been verified by the central Ministry of Health team on four different occasions.
During the verification process, some staff members who were referred to as “ghost” were in attendance. To ensure that salaries were paid to the rightful staffers, the Health Ministry verification team counter-checked attendance ledger, called roll, verified photos and other actions taken by the verification team to make sure everyone was working at the hospital.
Health workers said they are yet to understood the nature of payment, adding, “We have not received our payments.” They said they have reached the dead end and have gone out of patient but are left with no alternative but to go slow. The go slow was slated for August 1st if their salaries were not credited to their various accounts. The administration is said to be consultation with the aggrieved nurses.
The President of the aggrieved Health workers, Thomas T Williams said they have worked for four months without salary and benefits from the Liberian government and its partners. He said the nurses will leave the facilities of the Health Ministry in the County and will close all health facilities in the County in demand for their salaries.
Health Officer in the county is yet to address himself to the situation.
However, Maryland County Superintendent George Andrew Proud, who chairs he county health board, said he sympathizes with the aggrieved health workers and promised to help them in making sure they get the salaries.
The JJ Dossein referral Hospital is the only referral Hospital in the South Eastern region and provides quality health services to Liberians from Grand Kru, Sinoe, River Gee, Maryland and neighboring Ivory coast.
