George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Not less than 300 health workers, including doctors, pharmacists and nurses embarked on a protest match for being paid 70 percent instead of 100 percent of their salaries as earlier promised by Governor Hope Uzodinma.
The industrial action embarked by the aggrieved health workers has crippled medical services as patients seeking medical treatments were turned back as the gate of the state medical facility was under lock and key.
The health workers who had
converged on the gate of the state-owned health facility, appealed to Governor Hope Uzodinma to immediately pay the balance of the 100% of our January 2020 salary based on current grade levels with reference to the promotion exercise of May 2018 (Financial date).
Speaking on behalf of the doctors, the Guild of Doctors, Imo State and Chairman (JAC) Dr Anumudu Andrew, said their protest action would continue until their salaries were fully restored and paid.
The chairman further appealed to the governor to consider their plight and pay the salary arrears including promotion arrears as applicable to their counterparts in IMSUTH and the Ministry of Health.
Dr Anumudu averred that they had adopted a sit-down-look attitude since last week Monday demanding an urgent resolution of these issues.
He disclosed that the protest action they embarked on since Monday last week would not stop until their salaries were fully restored.
Also, Dr Echendu Justin, ISSH chairman, described as unfair treatment and gross injustice being meted to them stressing that government is a continuum and that the previous administration had earlier promised to restore their 100 percent salary allowances but failed.
She said: “Again they assured that our demands will be implemented in January 2020, unfortunately, we have received our January 2020 salaries and we were still paid 70% of our old salary grade levels.”