Concern over pay of Ghanaian nurses

IF GOVERNMENT WANTS to avoid a diplomatic embarrassment, it is being urged to swiftly solve a payment issue affecting some Ghanaian nurses.

However, as Democratic Labour Party spokesperson for health Paul Gibson was sounding the alarm, Minister of Health and Wellness, The Most Honourable Senator Jerome Walcott, said the matter was being dealt with.

Gibson has charged that more than 50 of the 122 Ghanaian nurses who arrived last October, were facing contractual issues and not being paid for their years of experience.

“We have been selecting specialist nurses, we have given them a commitment that they will be paid properly and paid for their years of service in Ghana.

“Some of those nurses have gone into the [Queen Elizabeth Hospital] but the ones that are in the Ministry of Health have not received a contract from the Ministry of Health in Barbados,” Gibson said.

He added that if the matter was not settled, the nurses who he said were experiencing challenges with their expenses, were likely to take action, which could have negative implications for the polyclinic system.

“Not only have they not received a contract from the Ministry of Health, but they are working below the salary levels that were negotiated prior to them coming here.

“This is a major concern and I suspect that we may have a diplomatic incident in Barbados and it could be embarrassing to the Barbados Government. All 54 are being paid a flat amount and this needs to be immediately corrected because it will cause a diplomatic issue between Ghana and Barbados. They are at a boiling point and I would like to implore the Government of Barbados to act quickly,” Gibson added.

When contacted yesterday, Walcott said permanent secretaries in two ministries were addressing the issue.

“This is a personnel matter and is being dealt with at the level of the PSs (permanent secretaries) of Ministry of the Public Service and Ministry of Health and Wellness. I have no doubt that it will be resolved in a few days,” he said.

(TG)