Concerned trainee Registered Nurses meet Health Minister -over possible non-payment of salaries

 

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, April 19, 2018

Five Nursing Assistants from Regions Two, Four and Eight met Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence, yesterday, seeking her intervention into a matter of the possible non-payment of salaries for the performance of Nursing Assistant duties.

Nursing Assistant at the Agricola Health Centre Denessa Blue, presented the case to the minister, on behalf of a cohort of nurses who received letters indicating that they may not be paid.

“We are all qualified nursing assistants, trained at the Georgetown School of Nursing and we are now pursuing the Registered Nursing programme at the Georgetown School of Nursing. Upon acceptance, from now receiving our release letter, we were told that we will not be able to receive a salary until the completion of the three-year programme.” Blue explained.

Some of the nurses were appointed as Assistants between December 2013 to July 2014. The letter received from the Public Service Ministry indicated ‘no pay’ which means these nurses who are now embarking on training (for further qualification) will not be paid until after three years.

Principal Personnel Officer (PPO) of the Ministry of Public Health, Chetwyn Pheonix explained to Minister Lawrence that, “because the MoPH is not authorised to grant release with pay or to even address the issues relating to scholarships those requests were referred to the Department of Public Service who would have looked at their regulations and would have so indicated that the persons can be released but this is the condition as set by the Public Service Ministry.”

The minister indicated that she has learnt that precedents have been set where persons were allowed to perform the duties of Nursing Assistants and enter the Registered Nursing programme while at the same time receiving a salary.

However, the PPO detailed that he had discussed “with the Permanent Secretary (Department of Public Service), in view of confirming that those precedents have been set it would give the ministry an opportunity to appeal these cases and ask probably that the Department of Public Service look at it in the circumstance.”

Minister Lawrence assured the nurses that she will look into this matter further and encouraged them to not be too long away from classes. “I support your seeking to gain knowledge and moving on to become a Registered Nurse. We need registered nurses in the system… I am happy that you took this step. I will make representation to the Minister of Public Service on your behalf”, she assured.

The Health Minister acknowledged that there is a deficit of professionals in the health sector due to many challenges that are met at the point of the Department of Public Service. Discussions between Permanent Secretary of the MoPH and Department of Public Service are expected to fast forward progressive personnel regulations that have been affecting human resources in the public health sector.

 

By: Delicia Haynes