House invites Finance, Health, CSA amid health workers’ go-slow in Southeast

By Bridgett Milton

The House of Representatives has invited the Ministers of Health, Finance and Development Planning and authorities of the Civil Service Agency to appear before full plenary to respond to concerns of ongoing go-slow by health workers in River Gee, Grand Kru, Sinoe, Maryland and Grand Gedeh counties.

The invite followed a communication to full Plenary by River Gee County Electoral district #3 Representative Francis Saidy Dopoh.

According to Rep. Dopoh, since June 1, 2022, it has come to his attention that the go-slow by the health workers is still in place and has led to the death of a ten years old child, who was rushed to hospital but could not get any medication because of the absence of health workers. 

He said the health workers have vowed no turning back, on grounds that they have repeatedly raised their plight to the Ministry of Health and related government institutions, with no considerable redress. 

The River Gee County lawmaker noted that health workers with the same qualification are not receiving equal pay for equal work and that those working in extremely hard-to-reach areas have limited or no incentives at all.

He added that even volunteered health workers are not being absorbed on the Government payroll and that there are constant and unnecessary deductions in salaries of health workers by the government, coupled with other disincentive conditions in their work environments.

Dopoh revealed that after their election, lawmakers agreed to cut their salary by 30 percent during the harmonization process so that health workers and teachers would not get affected.

He stressed that the current go-slow needs the immediate attention of full Plenary because said action undermines growth and development of the country while posing serious threat to lives in the entire Southeastern region. Editing by Jonathan Browne