A meeting between the Finance and Health ministers and striking health workers on Monday stoked more anger and left unresolved the demands by the health workers for unpaid allowances.
In a meeting on Monday with health workers at Juba Teaching Hospital, the Health Minister Riek Gai said, “Either you start work tomorrow, or there will not be any more work, and we will open a new page.”
Health workers say the meeting on Monday with the Ministers of Finance, Health and Labour did not resolve their demands on issues such as working hours.
A source told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that the unrest has affected service delivery at the hospital, explaining that some patients have even gone back home owing to the absence of doctors at the hospital.
A representative of health workers said that they are owed allowances for 18 months. The allowances were removed during the austerity measures imposed during the oil shutdown in 2012 through early 2013.
“Previously, the government announced that the austerity measures were lifted. So, why the government is not paying us our allowances?” he asked.
The chairperson of Health Workers Union Nafisa Lado said it is painful for them when they work tirelessly while nobody cares for their rights. She blamed the health minister for deteriorating conditions of the hospital.
Finance Minister Aggrey Tissa Sabouni told the representatives of the striking staff that the ongoing war has cost the government billions, saying there are shortages in all sectors. He urged the health workers to be patient until their problem is solved.
“The payment of this housing allowance will be effected when the requisite funds become available to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning – when this money that we are going to calculate becomes available.”
“The question is, has that money become available? Particularly in view of what happened in effect from December 15th till now – has that money become available? Not only for Juba Teaching Hospital, Malakal Teaching Hospital and Wau Teaching Hospital? It is not only these three hospitals that lost,” said the finance minister.
File photo: Riek Gai