Frontline health care workers have blamed the Ministry of Health and the National High-Level Taskforce over the death of their colleague, Taban Cosmos Ali, who was serving as the Chief of Planning Section at the PHEOC in Juba.

In a press release dated June 3, seen by the City Review, the health workers noted that the blame for Ali’s death rested on the doorsteps of the two institutions because they are the ones responsible for ensuring that medics are paid promptly. They said their colleague could not afford decent medical care due to lack of funds, directly attributable to his pending dues.

“His incentive had not been paid to him by the ministry of health and the national high-level taskforce. This explains the importance of paying claims of risk allowance, medical insurance and timely payment to the COVID-19 frontline health workers in the country,” the statement read partly.

On May 27, the medics announced a strike citing lack of incentives and mammoth salary arrears which they said ought to have been paid before they resumed their duties.

But on May 31, they met a delegation from the health docket to discuss an end to the strike. They included the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, the Director-General of Preventive Health Services, the Legal Advisor and the Security Officer for the Public Health Emergency Operation Centre (PHECO).

The medics said the “ministry of health recognised that it was the legal right of the COVID-19 health care workers to be given their arrears of nine unpaid months.’’

But the added that “the minister of health said that they do not have money to pay the staff.”

In the meeting, the health workers insisted that they would not resume duty before they are paid all their dues for all the months.  

“Without money and clear mentioning of when to pay us our nine months that we have worked for, we are continuing with the peaceful strike

“Our well-being is of fundamental importance” they have also condemned the intimidation that they would are getting,” they stated.