Demonstrating nurses at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital have issued a one-week ultimatum to government to pay their accumulated salaries or face their wrath.
The nurses, numbering over one hundred, on Tuesday demonstrated at the premises of the hospital in protest against their unpaid allowances which have been in arrears for almost a year.
[contextly_sidebar id=”oJYjv5VeYbS0XM2quJhpkxcl9DuAfEk9″]They also complained about the poor working conditions which they say needs urgent attention.
The nurses embarked on a similar protest in June this year to demand the provision of drugs and some basic working equipment but their concerns have not been addressed.
The nurses wore red arm bands and also held placards with inscriptions: ‘President Mahama, bring our money’, ‘You have a week to bring back our money’, ‘We can’t work without money.’
The spokesperson for the nurses, Febiri Emmanuel told Citi News, government has so far paid only three months of their outstanding salary arrears.
“We were only paid for three months and some of our colleagues who have been working for more than eight months were on allowances but were cut suddenly and now, they are not on allowance, they are not on salary but they come to work 24/7 from Monday to Sunday with just one day off.”
He warned that they can no longer continue to work without pay considering the risks they are exposed to in their daily duties.
Emmanuel disclosed that the hospital has no medication in stock for the psychiatric patients while the food given to them is of poor quality.
This, he said causes the patients to be become agitated and angry and sometimes, attack the nurses.
“There is no risk allowance for us, no insurance and when we are beaten, there is nothing for us,” he said.
Emmanuel said that all what the nurses are asking for is the full payment of all allowance and salary arrears to enable them continue with their work.
“That is all. We are not asking for too much because it is something that we have worked for,” he added.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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