By Binta Jaiteh
Association of Public and Environmental Health Officers has launched a sit-down strike over unpaid allowance while accused the Ministry of Health of stumbling from their promises date line.
Speaking exclusively to The Voice newspaper, Musa Nget, Vice President of the Association of Public and Environmental Health Officers, said they have been engaging the Ministry of Health after the first phase of the strike as promised from the Office of The Secretary General on the payment to be done end of May 2022.
According to him, the strike has an impact on all the public health functions from disease surveillance, birth and death registration, immunization, COVID-19 response, environmental sanitation, health education and International Health Regulation.
“We have been engaging the relevant stakeholders on the matter since last year until April 2022 which gave us no other option but to lay down tools and we wait for their reply,” he added.
However, he said the strike would end immediately if the Ministry of Health settles their allowances, and the reason for the delay in payment is best known to the Ministry of Health.
“I therefore urge all the public health officers to stay calm and to the public who are the most affected in this case but we have no choice but to act, let the Ministry pay the allowances as soon as possible,” he said.
The association has launched similar strike in March and ended the strike after having a consultative meeting with the Minister of Health whom they said promised to settle the allowances by the end of May.
