GANTA, Nimba – The Liberian Ministry of Health & Social Welfare has paid Ebola hazard benefits to 220 health workers at the Ganta United Methodist Hospital.
On Friday, October 8, the head of the workers union at the hospital, Ephraim Yangar, stated on a local radio station in Ganta that out of the 230 health workers that were expected to receive the benefits, 220 employees of the Ganta Hospital had so far received it.
The Ganta United Methodist Hospital Health Workers Association suspended a planned go-slow action scheduled for August 17 in protest of the late payment of their hazard benefits.
Those benefits had been promised by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf after the Ebola crisis in the country. The Ganta United Methodist Hospital is one of the few health centers that did not shut it doors to the public during the Ebola crisis.
“On September 28, 2015, we the health workers of this hospital began receiving our hazard benefits through LBDI (Liberian Bank for Development and Investment),” Yangar said.
“The process is still going on, and currently, we have about 220 health workers who have already received their own benefit,” Yangar said.
Yangar said the ten people who had yet to receive their benefits – including himself – are all nurses. Nurses received US$1,200 as hazard benefits while administrators of the hospital received US$300.
Yangar said the union is still following up to ensure that the remaining people receive their payments.
Although the hospital is owned and operated by the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, it is the largest hospital in Ganta and the government of Liberia heavily depends on it for health care delivery to people in Nimba and parts adjacent.
Featured photo by Arrington Ballah
