Community Health Workers demand their dues

By MATTHEW VARI

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 (Midweek Chronicle, PNG)

COMMUNITY health workers around the country have called on both the Department of Health, and Treasury to give them answers as to why they are yet to settle their outstanding 2006 third phase back-payments for retrenched, deceased, and casual community health workers throughout the country.  

General Secretary of Papua New Guinea Community Health Workers Association (CHWA), James Amuna said that failure to settle the issue with the CHWA would result in a mass withdrawal from the workforce nationwide.                   

Amuna made the call on behalf of the association’s 3,314 members from a total community health workforce close to 7,000 in total.    

He said that of the K75 million allocated under the National Health Department budget 2013 by the National Government to settle the industrial awards within the department- K25 million went to the Provincial Health Authority roll out plan and K50 million was to settle the awards.

“We learnt that Health Extension Officers (HEOs) and Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLTs) were paid their industrial awards already.”

“What about the Allied Health Workers, community health workers, and nurses?”

Mr Anuma said, so far K13.5 million had already been paid to the HEOs and MLTs and the balance of K36.5 still remained.

“Now when will this money be paid out to our members? Is this a delayed tactic to divert money for other purposes?”

“Also we are very mindful of the year ending and what lies ahead is anybody guesses (anybody’s guess).”

Amuna referred to the health ministry’s statement that there won’t be any funding made available in next year’s budget to cater for the industrial awards.

“The message is very loud and clear but what is the delay- who is going to be answerable for the delay?”

He added that the payments should not be delayed and be processed immediately, before the funds are withheld by the Treasury Department or might be used for other purposes.

The General Secretary in addition laid the blame on Provincial Administrations and Provincial Hospitals in delaying the submission of names of casuals, retrenched, deceased, and those that missed out- delaying the process a majority of the time.

He said all the excuses were chronic of all the management teams involved and should not be happening as the year draws to an end.