|
 Health workers in the West African nation threatened to abandon
hundreds of patients in Ebola treatment units, clinics and hospitals
if demands for better incentives, working conditions and protective
equipment were not met.
A meeting to resolve their grievances on Oct. 10 ended in a deadlock
with the government refusing the meet their demands, said George
Williams, secretary general of the National Health Workers
Association of Liberia.
"The government of Liberia has not changed their posture. They do
not want to engage us so that we can talk," Williams said. "Time is
running out, by 1200 midnight on Monday morning, we will be starting
the go-slow action."
Liberia's deputy health minister Matthew Flomo said the government
was not aware of health workers planning to strike.
"What I do know is that the government has reached an agreement with
health workers for their payment, which will be as of September,
beginning Monday,” Flomo said.
But Williams denied the workers had reached any agreement with the
government. He accused the administration of trying to divide the
workers.
He, however, acknowledged that the strike would undermine the gains
being made in the fight against Ebola in Liberia, but said they were
confident the public would understand the reason behind their
action.
"The problem is the government. The public should get angry with the
government, not with us," Williams said
"The public is aware that health workers are dying because they are
not protected. Nobody is supposed to die while protecting lives, we
have been calling on the government to give us protective gear but
they are not doing so," he said.
Liberia has the highest number of infections and deaths of the worst
outbreak of the viral hemorrhagic fever that has killed 2,316 people
in the poor West African nation.
[to top of second column] |
Healthcare systems in Liberia as well as in Sierra Leone and Guinea
where the outbreak was first recorded in March, have been
overwhelmed by the epidemic. The disease has also spread to Senegal,
Nigeria, Spain and the United States.
Concern that Ebola could spread globally has prompted international
organizations and the international community to step up support for
the affected countries with medical personnel, material and pledges
of about $1 billion to tackle the epidemic.
But healthcare workers in Liberia complain they are still working
without basic protective clothing and are not receiving adequate
compensation while many of them have contracted and died from the
disease.
Over 4,000 people have died from Ebola including 233 health care
workers, among them 95 from Liberia and the same number from Sierra
Leone, according to the World Health Organization.
(Reporting by James Harding Giahyue; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing
by Stephen Powell)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
