MONROVIA- The President of the Liberia National Physicians Assistance Association, Theophilius T. Fayiah has expressed disappointment over government failure to lift up the increment in nurses health workers salary.
By Francis G. Boayue
Fayiah on Wednesday in a press conference, said since the inception of the Boakai-led government took office in January, the public health laws and increment in salary for health workers continue to be ignored.
According to Fayiah, a policy was signed and took 18 months to formulate before reaching validation during the Weah’s led government to increase health workers salary, but interestingly, the policy is only working for doctors who are taking $2,398 for doctors while nurses and Physician Assistants are still underpaid.
“We are not happy with the way the government is treating health workers in this country, and we are going to call on all healthcare workers under our voice to assemble in the soonest possible time to a mass protest till the government can do the needful,” Fayiah said.
He further said this policy as a matter of fact didn’t happen as a result of election or political campaign but rather as the result of improving the livelihood of health workers across Liberia.
“With heavy hearts and disappointment, the government continues to ignore the policy that was turned over to them by the past government, the Unity Party led government continues to ignore the plight of health workers in this country, our budget took into consideration the volunteers that are currently working in the health facilities without salary,” he said.
“Imagine there are volunteers working for the past seven years, and are yet to be on pay roles. Although people retire when they are aging, they get older. Who is responsible for their social activities? Who is responsible for their children? They are just left with nothing. So we are saying that the tactics that the government implemented to delay our implementation strategy for this salary, we have discovered that, and it is late.”
He also called on the legislature to ensure that health workers’ salaries be captured in any instrument that means health will be presented to the national legislature for 2025.
He further said health workers across the country are feeling the pain and will not give the government a later time.
“We are asking them to do the needful. Failure on their part to do the needful, We will drop to them. We drop tools until our issues can be addressed because what we’ve noticed over time, diplomacy doesn’t work for African politicians. Therefore, we are going to institute the language that they can listen to, a nationwide protest action at a strategic location,” Fayiah added
