... .Patients Describe Strike By Health Workers

Health activities at the J.J. Dossen Memorial Hospital in Harper, Maryland County are at a standstill due to the nationwide go-slow action by health workers as patients describe the action as a 'death trap'.

When our correspondent visited the hospital Tuesday, several patients of the Out Patients Department (OPD) said they were not being attended to by health workers. They explained that no health services were provided as nurses, physician assistants, and hospital staffers could not be seen.

The patients said the action of the health workers is tantamount to what they called 'death trap' because, according to them, when they go to the hospital for treatment, once no nurses are available to attend to them, they would eventually die.

Speaking to this paper in an interview, the County Health Administrator James Y. Juah and Mr. Cyrus Sneh, Community Health Services Director said health workers were demanding increment in salaries and allowances.

They are also demanding incentives for housing as well as placing other health workers on the Government payroll.

Although it remains unclear as to when the go-slow will end, but according to the two health administrators, discussions to end the go-slow action are ongoing between the Health Workers Association, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and civil society organizations.