— Volunteer Health Workers Decried Unfair Employment
By: Shallon S. Gonlor |
shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
NIMBA COUNTY, Liberia — Several volunteer health workers within Nimba County Health Team are calling on Health Minister Dr. Louise Mapleh Kpoto to conduct an assessment of the personnel assigned to government health facilities under the county’s health team.
The volunteers allege that Sampson Gaye, the Human Resources Officer for the Nimba County Health Team, has been practicing nepotism and favoritism in employment decisions, overlooking the dedication and service of long-time volunteers.
The workers claim that this has created an unfair work environment and are calling for an investigation into the matter. They hope that the minister’s assessment will address these concerns and ensure that merit and service are recognized within the health team.
In an interview, a volunteer and member of the volunteer workers union at the G. W. Harley Hospital in Sanniquellie, who wished to remain anonymous, shared his frustration.
He revealed that he began volunteering at the government health facility in 2021, hoping to secure an employment job after pursuing his nursing degree at the university level, and obtaining a license from the Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery.
However, the aggrieved volunteer health workers, dedicated to serving at government hospitals across the county jointly expressed disappointment with the Nimba County Health Team’s Human Resources Officer, Sampson Gaye, noting that despite their qualifications and efforts, there has been no clear path to forward their names to the Health Ministry for possible employment after five to seven years in service.
“We pursued nursing degrees as a profession, paid US$75 dollars to Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery for license, and we have been volunteering for half a decade, expecting to be prioritized for employment opportunity, but to no avail” they said.
Their situation reflects the broader concerns about the employment practices within Liberia system as well as the Nimba County Health Team, which has led to allegations of nepotism and favoritism against Human Resources Officer Sampson Gaye.
The volunteer health workers’ frustrations boiled over on Tuesday after a meeting with HR Gaye, where they confronted him about employment opportunities. Gaye allegedly stated that employment is based on “connection and flexibility” rather than merit or hard work.
According to the volunteers, Gaye emphasized that current nurses on the government payroll secured their positions through connections, implying that the volunteers should also seek out influential connections within the ministry.
“The local health ministry is playing games with us. We need Health Minister Dr. Louise Mapleh Kpoto to intervene – enough is enough,” the group said in a statement.
The volunteers expressed feeling exploited, noting that despite being the backbone of the hospital’s workforce, their dedication goes unrecognized. “The workload relies solely on us nurse volunteers; we are the ones reporting to work on time and serving patients, yet we are overlooked,” one volunteer said.
The group also raised concerns about potential corruption, alleging that government health facilities in the county are understaffed, but payroll records show overcrowded salaries with possible ghost names.
The Nimba County Health Team authority has yet to respond to these allegations, as efforts to reach them have been unsuccessful. The volunteers are calling for an urgent assessment and intervention from the Health Minister to address these issues and ensure fair employment practices.
