JUBA – South Sudan frontline healthcare workers responding to COVID-19 has called off the two-week strike over unpaid incentives on humanity grounds.
On 27 May, the COVID-19 Frontline Healthcare workers laid down their tools demanding nine months incentives from the Ministry of Health and National High-Level Taskforce.
Speaking to reporters in Juba on Sunday, Abraham Ajok, Data Manager at Public Health Emergency Operation Centre disclosed that they have resumed work based humanity ground.
“The COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers sat down and agreed to reconsider and ease the peaceful strike on humanity ground for all South Sudanese,” Ajok told reporters at Sunday’s press conference in Juba.
He called on the presidency to look into the concern of the neglected COVID-19 frontline workers.
“The COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers still calls on the South Sudan’s Presidency to look into the concern of the neglected COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers,” he stressed.
“It is on these bases that we called for the intervention of the top leadership to protect the rights of the COVID-19 healthcare workers,” he added.
He said despite having had series of meetings with top officials from the Ministry of Health regarding their nine months incentives; it has not yielded any positives results.
He stated that they will continue engaging the Ministry to pay their nine months while saving the lives of the people.
“South Sudan is very weak to manage COVID-19 invested resources and thus there is a high need for accountability and auditing to avoid the misuse and mismanagement of resources by the Ministry of Health and National Taskforce,” he added.
Dr. Mayen Machut Achiek, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health said the ministry is working to address the issue of frontline healthcare workers.
“We had negotiations and we feel we came to a nice consensus. They considered the situation very and we definitely considered what they are asking for is genuine,” Machut told reporters during weekly COVID-19 media briefing on Sunday.
“We came to the conclusion that the strike has to stop and we have to work to surely we have been working all along to ensure they are taken good care of,” he added.