At a peaceful protest on Tuesday at the Ministry of Health, the protesting nurses, who are Covid-19 frontline workers, called on the government of The Gambia through the Ministry to settle their unpaid allowances without delay.
Antouman Jagne, head of the aggrieved nurses, said they’ve served The Gambia in the most challenging time to fight covid-19, which he said, has caused mayhem around the globe.
"We answered to a national call without hesitation, quit our little sources of income without a second thought, stayed away from family and these and among other hosts of sacrifices, we do in the name of country and in giving back to the country that gave us all," he said.
Mr. Jagne maintained that they do not undertake this challenge to enrich themselves, but rather they took it to serve the interest of the country with honor.
He explained that after all the sacrificesand the completion of the paper workthey are left forever waiting for their entitlement with each passing month.
"We are always assured of receiving our salaries and for the second month running, we are always disappointed, we have written to the authorities for answers, but to our dismay, no response came from either the office of the Permanent Secretary or the Secretary general and head of civil service," he added.
These allowances, he went on, were allocated across the country for all health care workers, adding that it happened prior to their employment.
“But considering the tremendous efforts we implied in curbing the spread of the pandemic and the high level of exposure, would three months not be more than enough for funds to be raised and allowances be paid to us?”
Meanwhile, Lamin Dampha, permanent secretary 2 at the Ministry of Healthassured the protesting nurses that their salaries and allowances would be paid by the end of November.
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