By: Perry B. Zordyu
The National Health Workers Union of Liberia (NAHWUL) TB-Annex Hospital Branch has staged a protest as well as given the Government of Liberia two weeks ultimatum and petitioned the government through the Ministry of Health over their risk migration allowance and other benefits owed them by the government.
According to them, the workers have been marginalized over the last four years and denied their legitimate risk benefits. They are at the same time calling for an immediate intervention of the Liberian Government to resolve their benefits issue.
Reading the petition statement, the Spokesperson of the health workers, Ballah Benjamin pointed out that the staffs have suffered stigmatization as a result of their assignment at the TB Annex.
Mr. Ballah Benjamin maintained that the annex being the only referral center catering for every drug resistant patients in the country, it is prudent for government to pay homage to those risking their lives in the health sector.
“Having presented the needs for the restoration of the risk allowance severally at all levels but with relevant authorities over the past four years without redress, we the staffs are not privileged to have special school for our kids, special transport services, special market to buy groceries (food), special accommodation for the nature of our work coupled a very harmonized
salaries should be the foremost priority of government especially the health sector,” Mr. Benjamin added.
He furthered, “Now therefore, we have come here today to make it abundantly clear that we have had enough of ignoring our plights and demand the immediate restoration of our risk benefit in two weeks beginning today and thereafter, we shall explore other alternatives. We cannot and will not wait perpetually,” he maintained.
In response, the legal head of the workers at the Ministry Cllr. Tomik L. J. Vobah vowed to meet the needs of health workers in the soonest possible time adding that health is paramount to every given society.
Cllr. Vobah therefore called on the protesters to remain calm as the transitional process is being carried out promising a swift intervention to seize and curtail the wider risk of patients in the country.
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