Locum payment of all outstanding locum claims, Government says that we have already started paying that from February 2018. Night duty allowance for nurses who do night duty, whatever their allowance was, it was put up by 50%. There are also others on standby or call out, this also was reviewed upwards by 50%.
The Government has reintroduced a post basic allowance for nurses who have acquired a maximum of two qualifications. This has been introduced for nurse managers in recognition of their added clinical responsibility. I have already alluded to the vehicle loan scheme; this is another thing that was offered by Government. This was communicated but the doctors did not accept this because to be fair; they were in the bipartite negotiating panel but they then walked out. Those who remained signed this agreement. If you are at a negotiating panel and you have all the panelists there and you walk out, this is a bone of contention which has made the doctors to stay out.
We believe that there should be continued discussion. The doctor should be given a forum to continue to discuss. I am aware now that we have reached a very critical stage in trying to negotiate. I say it is now a critical state because the negotiations have been elevated to the highest levels and the doctors assisted by senior doctors and consultants, are in consultation with Government in negotiations at a higher level. At this stage, we would like these negotiations to be treated as delicate as they are delicate so that we chart our way forward with the doctors. We generally hope that the impasse can be resolved soon. We want our doctors to come back to work because the real victim is the patient of this country. The real victim is the one we all should strive to assist, that is the real victim that we should all take care of as best as we can.
We need to prioritise the health delivery system of this country as a people. I urge you to try and ring fence the health sector so that it is given the priority that it deserves. If we continue to make it dispersed, then we continue to have these problems. I am however pleased that our principals are now at the center of this in terms of finding a solution and I hope that this can bring some finality to the issue.
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