Monrovia – With no definite date for doctors’ arrears payment, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has appealed to doctors to continue their services and back down on their planned protest.
Report by Al-Varney Rogers alvarney.rogersfrontpageonline.com
“I therefore appeal to our doctors to show patience and patriotism by continuing service,” President Sirleaf said.
President Sirleaf who is currently in Morocco attending the Global Climate Change Conference swiftly responded to the threats of the doctors on a rather urged the doctors to be patriotic and uphold service to nation.
She blamed poor state of the economy and the changes in the currency of payment as reasons responsible for the delay in payment.
“Recent delays in payments reflect the need to make changes in the currency of payment, in reflection of the serious financial situation in the country,” President Sirleaf said.
President Sirleaf said: “Cabinet discussions have centered on the need to improve the salaries and benefits of doctors particularly those who are specialists to provide better incentives for their valuable service.”
Recounting the start of her administration in 2006, President Sirleaf said the salary and benefits of doctors was US$70 or its equivalent in local currency, with several delays in monthly payments.
“Working conditions left much to be desired.”
“Today, the salary and benefits average US$4,000.00 for doctors and US$1,500.00 for government-sponsored interns with on-time monthly payments and improved working conditions,” she averred.
President Sirleaf said she would meet with the doctors upon her return.
Doctors from across Liberia, on Monday gave a 72-hour ultimatum in demand for their over three months’ salary arrears.
They threatened that failure on the part of government to meet this demand would lead to strike action.
“If the government does not make payment of our salaries, we will take a strike action, we will gather at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where the President resides” – Dr. Jonathan Hart, Spokesperson of aggrieved doctors said.
“For the past 18 months we have been getting our salary in bits and pieces; we are giving government 72 hours to pay us our three months salaries,” he added.
Dr. Hart further stated that aggrieved doctors have written the Ministry of Health on numerous occasions and have gotten no positive response.
“We need to have peace of mind in doing what we are doing. I can’t be worrying on diagnosis and be worrying on the payment of my salary,” Hart noted.
Dr. Hart said doctors from all of the 15 counties are aware of the plan strike action.
The doctors called for a roundtable discussion with major stakeholders in the health sector so that all parties could find a lasting solution to the delay in doctors’ salaries.