By Septimus Senessie in Kono
Health workers in the eastern Kono district, nurses in particular, have laid down their tools over the “non-payment of their October month health hazard risk allowances.”
They told Politico that they would go for work but vowed “not to touch any sick patient until the issue of payment of their backlog allowances is addressed. We put our lives and those of our families at risk in the fight against Ebola.”
The strike action came at a time when the district had started to register high number of Ebola cases.
President of the nurses in Kono, Nanu Lebbie, a midwife, said they were on an indefinite seat-down strike because they had not received their allowances for October.
“We know that such actions are hard to take, especially at a time like this when the Ebola virus is killing people. We have already taken oath to save lives but the current situation has pushed us to this extent and we are left with no option but to go on strike. We believe this will make them hear our voices and address our concerns,” she said.
Nurse Lebbie said they took the position because they were not sure of getting their pay, noting that the firm contracted by the government to make the first two weeks’ payment of November had told them that they were not responsible for the October arrears and that they should contact their district medical officer.
The midwife said they had engaged the hospital management and the National Ebola Response Centre in Kono district but their efforts proved futile.
She also complained of late payment of their weekly risk allowances which did not come in time. She accused the hospital management and the NERC office in Kono of not doing enough to advocate on their behalf.
Meanwhile, finance officer at the secondary healthcare department, Alfred Foday Sesay, denied they owed the striking nurses for the month of October. He said they only owed them for two weeks, the third and fourth weeks of October. He said he could not tell when the two weeks’ backlog risk allowances would be paid.
“Such monies are sent directly into the account of the Primary Healthcare which is headed by the District Medical Office (DMO). If he disbursed the money, we would pay the nurses and if he did not, we would not pay them,” he told Politico.
The head of primary healthcare at the hospital, Dr. Manso Dumbuya, said they were not part of the strike action although “we wear the same shoes as the striking nurses.” He denied receiving any payment for October on behalf of the nurses and doctors.
He said: “the issues of risk allowances in the fight against Ebola are crucial. I will advise government not to play with it if it’s really ready to defeat Ebola out of the country.”
Dr. Dumbuya said he had communicated the non-payment of October allowances to the NERC head office in Freetown and that they had assured them of payment.
© Politico 27/11/14
