Health Minister asks protesting nurses to be patient until Budget is passed

Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony is asking nurses who have been protesting for risk allowance to be patient for a few more days until the 2020 National Budget is passed.

Health workers from the Linden Hospital Complex and West Demerara Regional Hospital are also protesting late salaries this month.

Dr Anthony assured that some $150M has been allocated in the budget to be paid as risk allowance to health workers.

“The issues as I understand it is that they are protesting for risk allowances and in some cases I understand there is a secondary issue, some people were talking about personal protective equipment,” the Minister said on Thursday outside of the National Assembly.

“The issue of risk allowance, the nurses and other frontline workers will have to give us maybe a few more days because tomorrow [Friday] we anticipate the passing of the budget.”

The workers will receive the allowance between October and December and the Minister could not say how much each worker will receive.

As it relates to PPEs, the Minister said all hospitals are being provided with adequate supplies.