Health care workers' pay delayed

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Wednesday November 3, 2010 00:00

 

Some of the affected employees lamented that since the move was taken there has been confusion and delays in payments, and that this month things are worse because pay day will only come on 10 November.

'Since we were transferred to the Health Ministry in July - some as early as April - the city council, under the Local Government Ministry has been paying, as the current employer is not ready for the move,' the source said, blaming politics for the confusion. Speaking at the national budget presentation, Finance Minister, Kenneth Matambo, said the decision was meant to harmonise and strengthen the coordination of health service delivery.

He added that to improve productivity and transform the economy, a diligent workforce, drawn from a healthy population remained an important factor.

'It is expected that this change will improve efficiency and service standards, promote equity and access to specialised services, and enhance effectiveness and quality in the provision of health care,' he said. Public relations officer in the Ministry of Local Government, Tigele Mokobi, confirmed that there are transitional issues some of which pertain to payments. Mokobi said the transfer, which began in April 2010 as planned, has so far seen 7,313 primary health care workers operate under MoH.

He also confirmed that close to 2,000 workers - some of which are project funded -  continue to be paid by their former employer, but the initial agreement was that the Local Government Ministry would pay employees until July. 'The Ministry of Local Government had been scheduled to pay employees until July. This was later extended to September and has subsequently been extended to December 2010,' Mokobi said. Mokobi said the challenges are being addressed, as MOH is working towards taking over payments by December.

'The transition was adequately budgeted for but like in any transition there were bound to be teething problems that the transition is currently going through,' he added. 

However, MoH public relations officer, Doreen Motshegwa, denied that the Local Government Ministry continues paying some workers already operating under the current employer.  She said one of problems the transfer is facing is insufficient information.

'I don't know of any delayed payments, what I know of is overtime that some of these people have been owed by the Local Government Ministry, there is no way a former employer can be paying someone who has been moved elsewhere,' she said.  Motshegwa added that the issue of overtime payment is being discussed.

Critics of the transition called for consultation with all stakeholders in order to achieve the envisaged harmony and strengthen the health coordination.