Opposition wants temporary health workers hired by Volda Lawrence to be paid.

Dec 31, 2020 News

– Health Minister says ‘No payment unless employment contracts are provided’

By Sueann Wickham

An aerial view of one of the villages in Moruca.

Kaieteur News – Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, has responded to a call from Alliance For Change (AFC) Executive, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, asking the Health Ministry to pay temporary health workers employed by former Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence, who are owed their salaries.
During an AFC press conference on December 18 last, Lowe stated that following a spike in COVID-19 cases in Moruca and Santa Rosa in June, the Kumaka District Hospital had requested more staff to handle the influx of cases. According to the AFC executive, 30 temporary workers were employed but to date, only three of them were paid.
“Twenty-seven of them were never paid. The regional authorities were asked to look into the matter, including the RHOs (Regional Health Officers) but so far nothing positive has come forth. Therefore, the Alliance For Change is calling on the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, to personally look into this matter, with the aim of ensuring that these persons are paid what is owed to them. Since they were temporary staff, we expect the Ministry to retain them only when they are needed. But they have worked and now they need to get paid,” she stated.
When Kaieteur News contacted the Health Ministry for a response to Lowe’s statement, it was revealed that Ministry officials were made aware of the issue and several persons have come forward with reports, but none of them provided a written contract of employment.
In fact, a Ministry official told this newspaper that they also could not find any records of such employment arrangements.
“The Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, has himself indicated that the Ministry will consider any submissions for payment that has merit, based on a written employment contract, which would mean there was prior approval,” the official shared.
It was stated that the Ministry is now left with the task of verifying employment matters where people may have legitimately worked, but were not told or given the terms and conditions of their employment, which includes the amount of money they were supposed to be paid.
The official noted that if any member of the previous administration can point to these employment records, the Ministry would welcome such information since they are of the view that these persons deserve to be paid. They will have to ensure they provide sufficient information, indicating what work was done and the period in which the work was carried out.
Further, it was stated that Dr. Anthony has assured that the Health Ministry will honour any legitimate contract of employment once work had been completed “as per agreed terms and conditions of employment.”
It was also disclosed that the issue of payments for temporary staff is existing within several regions besides Region One and Minister Anthony has already met with some of the affected workers.

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