Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Kaduna based mission hospital, Saint Gerard’s Catholic Hospital has opted for salary cut of its workers in place of sending them on indefinite compulsory leave without pay.
The decision came on the heels of 120 staff earlier sent home due to COVID-19 challenges that was said to have threatened economic fortunes of the hospital.
The affected 120 staff have been recalled to their duty posts, effective Monday, June 1, “to be paid 70 percent of their salary until the situation improves instead of remaining at home on compulsory leave without pay”.
It was also gathered that the decision to recall the 120 staff was taken at a meeting between the embattled workers and Advisory committee of the hospital.
Our Correspondent further learnt that the proprietor of the mission hospital, the Archbishop of Kaduna Catholic Diocese, Bishop Matthew Manoso Ndagoso was not actually happy with the earlier laying off of the 120 staff.
Bishop Ndagoso was believed to have expressed shock when our sister publication, Saturday Sun, ran the story over two weeks ago that the hospital had sacked 120 staff due to Coronavirus crisis.
He expressed anger with our Correspondent over the report, telling him on telephone, “Why didn’t you contact me before writing the story, why are you calling me now after you had published the story”.
However, the clergyman was said to have summoned management team of the hospital, headed by the Administrator of the hospital, Reverend Sister Beatrice Danladi, and directed for the review of the sack.
The letter earlier given to the 120 laid off staff read in part, “Management has painfully deliberated on all the submissions and decided you should proceed on leave of absence without pay with immediate effect, till when your service is required again. Please, accept management empathy over this decision”.