Region Six Chairman, David Armogan, yesterday disclosed that a total of 104 persons who were hired by the APNU+AFC government about eight months ago in the health sector have not yet received any payment.
Additionally, Armogan said, that those persons were not given any contract or document showing their employment.
According to the chairman, 60 health workers were first taken on, while an additional 40 persons were hired to conduct temperature testing at the Berbice Bridge entrance and other parts of the region.
Initially, the issue was raised by Shurla Scott, APNU Regional Councillor for Region Six, during the region’s first statutory meeting yesterday. She said that based on information she received, there were persons within the health sector who are on the verge of being placed on the breadline. “These are persons that were employed in April of this year due to the pandemic to boost the staffing in various categories at the hospital,” she explained.
Scott further claimed, that based on information she received, those persons are coming to the end of their “contractual agreement” and are expected to be let go.
She told Armogan that she was asking for an investigation to be launched.
The Regional Chairman then clarified to the council that 60 community health officers were indeed “taken on.” “They never had a contract, never had any instrument to pay them and they have been working now for the last eight months without pay, so we have to deal with that which should have been looked after by the last government because they took on the people,” he stated.
He added, “You can’t take on people and don’t pay them,” while noting that it appears that the persons have been working hard since coming on the job.
Furthermore, he explained, that 40 other persons were “taken on to do the testing at the bridge and wherever else.” Those persons, who also do not have any documentation showing their employment, have also not received any payment as yet.
According to Armogan, the issue has since been raised with the Minister of Health, Frank Anthony, “… and so we are looking to see if there is anywhere else we can place these people in the meantime, and again, these people have not been given any contract, they have no employment letter, they have no instrument to pay them, nothing… They just take them on like that which is very bad and now you’re asking me to correct an injustice which was done to these young children, I call them children because they are young boys and girls.”
The chairman further emphasised that there is no need for an investigation and that the matter is being addressed by Minister Anthony.
After the meeting he told Stabroek News, that they would now have to look at the best option to resolve the issue.
