BY: Shallon S. Gonlor
NIMBA COUNTY: – President Joseph N. Boakai’s government continued to be greeted with disenchantment from different sectors of government less than a year of his six years term.
Currently, there are series of devastating issues in the country, including the growing tensions, chaos in House of Representatives impasse, and White Tuesday protest at the Capitol Hill with a call for the government to step-down among many different pressing issues on the shoulder of the government.
Amid these present havocs in the county, a union of health workers across Liberia’s 15 political subdivisions has joined the gun with a mass strike action, abandoning job and shutting down public health facilities.
On early Tuesday, December 17, 2024 health workers under the umbrella “Assembly of Liberian Health Professionals” launched a countrywide strike action, which is expected to last for the longer until their unmet demands can be settled, according to the president of the association, Theophilus Tamba Fayiah.
The Liberia National Physician Assistance Association (LNPAA) boss who appeared on Radio Nimba breakfast show “Wake-up Nimba” via mobile phone on Wednesday disclosed that health workers across the country will stay away from job as of Tuesday, December 17, 2024 until the government can get ready for their services by addressing their demands.
The Assembly of Liberian Health Professionals includes Pharmaceutical Association of Liberia, the Liberia Nurse Association, the Liberia National Physician Assistance Association, the Liberia Midwives Association, Liberia Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the Liberian Society of Medical Imaging Technologies, Liberia Association of Operating Room Technicians, Liberia Association of Environmental Professionals, Liberia Association of Medical Laboratory Technologists, and Liberia Medical and Dental Association.
What is the health workers’ strike about?
The strike action, according to the group aligns with their concerns over controversial salary disparities, increment and benefits for all healthcare providers, accusing past and present the government refusal to address.
Few days ago, health workers through their leadership threatened to lockdown the country’s health system if the Liberian Government under President Boakai’s Administration fails to implement the salary reclassification policy for healthcare providers by 2025 beginning January, but embarked with the pressure in less than two weeks to the end of 2024.
Government Response:
The Liberian Government through the Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine K. Ngafuan, following the submission of the Draft 2025 National Budget to the Legislature, said nurses, midwives and physician assistance will receive the amount of US$50 top-ups per month while other health workers will receive US$ 25-40 based on their level.
In resistance, the Assembly of Liberian Health Professionals leadership termed as “provocation and complete breach of the Health Sector Pay Grade and Salary Reclassification Policy”, the Government of Liberia’s US$50 top-ups for health workers across the country, while it threatens the ongoing countrywide strike action.
The health practitioners are rejecting plans by the government to add US$50 top-up to their salary, describing the funds as “inadequate” and call on the government to immediately implement the salary reclassification policy.
Harms associated with the strike:
This collective action by health workers to stop all healthcare delivery services until the government demonstrates a commitment to addressing their demand if no concrete action is taken timely will cause huge destructions to human lives.
A concern that the government should take the matter seriously and engage with them to avert a disruption of healthcare services across the nation.
HEALTH WORKERS IN NIMBA COUNTY:
In Nimba County, local government health facilities were seen deserted by workers, making access to adequate treatment difficult, leaving patients vulnerable.
Health practitioners, including nurses, midwives were seen walkout, leaving sick patients in dilemma, shutting down government health facilities in support for call to action by the government to address their overdue salaries and benefits disputes.
Reacting to the strike action, the Acting President for the National Health Workers Union of Liberia, Nimba Chapter has launched a passionate call for health workers in the county to abandon their strike action and return to work.
Ephraim Yangean in a press conference on Tuesday said the government is making efforts to improve The welfare of health workers in the country and so it is unfair for health workers to go on strike when the plans of the government is expected to be executed beginning January of 2025.
Mr. Yangean named the inclusion of health volunteers on the payroll, construction of shelters for health workers salary increment for health workers among others as some of the plans the government have for health practitioners in the country.
He wants his colleagues to bear patience with the government until the next budget that begins in January 2025. Health workers in Nimba County on Tuesday up and until now are on strike in demand of salary increment and benefits, including disparities and unequal in salary payment.
At G. W. Harley Hospital, the usually bustling halls and outpatient departments resembled ghost towns. Patients seeking medical care were met with empty consultation rooms and unanswered calls for assistance. In Nimba, while some patients waited in vain, health workers were nowhere to be seen.
