Covid-19 frontline staff demand compensation for affected health workers

May 13, 2020 Owen Khamula - Nyasa Times 9 Comments

Coronavirus frontline staff are asking the government to immediately start processing compensation for those frontline health workers affected by the disease.

Covid-19 leaves Malawi’s frontline  health workers facing threats and social stigma
Frontline health workers have concerns

At least five frontline health workers have been affected by Covid-19 which they contracted in line of duty.

Physicians Assistants Union of Malawi (PAUM) president Dr. Solomon Chomba said the government needs not to be moved hard to start processing the compensation.

“These cases vindicate our demand for government to provide health workers with personal protective equipment,” said Chomba.

Meanwhile, health workers have threatened a fresh industrial action over the government decision to tax the risk allowance.

In April, the government revised the risk allowance for health workers who include  nurses and midwives, clinicians and medical doctors from K1,000 to K60,000 as the highest depending on grades.

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9 replies on “Covid-19 frontline staff demand compensation for affected health workers”

  2. Stupid claims! This is the precedence HRDC and friends MCP have set in Malawi! Everyone thinks any grievance is worthy demonstrating! Umbuli pompo thooo! Someone thinks running away from quarantine centre will punish government! Total ignorance innoculated by the opposition parties!

  3. This is now blackmail. Government should consider training more health workers so that the is large supply and employ only those who are willing to work under government conditions. These people when they are not employed they cry everyday to be employed yet the know about the low salaries and allowances in government. For goodness sake why not start your own clinics and pay yourself all the money you want.

  4. Kodi do you get compensated when you contract TB from a patient?. If not, what has changed. Some of the risks are inherent with the profession. Government must provide PPEs and the risk allowance that you have been given. Now what is This?. Maybe you are just targeting those covid funds

  5. Honestly every life matters regardless of grade. It is appropriate for Government to award risk allowance to front line staff during this difficult time. it is also fair to suggest that it is equally immoral to vary the amount of allowance due to grades of employees. Employees/Front line staff cannot be discriminated on the amount of allowance they receive due to their respective grades. I expect those front line staff who are at the top of the hierarchy to be in front protesting the idea of their juniors being paid a reduced allowance. If you pay a Doctor K60,000 as risk allowance, it is fair for support workers to receive a similar amount. Every life matters and corona 19 does not discriminate. Everyone can be infected by corona virus. Let us motivate all front line staff to tackle this pandemic. Cleaners you are front line staff who make all those wards clean and your life matters. You have families and responsibilities too. You should not be discriminated of this corona19 risk allowance.

    It will be foolish to suggest that corona 19 issue is not be politicized in Malawi. The Government be on lookout . Your actions on corona19 can win you voters or lose voters.

    Corona 19 is real and it will be very reckless if people/society takes it as a myth..

    1. These people have already been given a risk allowance. Now They’re asking for something else on top. When shall this stop? I absolutely understood the risk allowance but this is too much.

    2. Just to hit the nail on head, it is this junior worker with lower grade who has been insulted with lower risk allowance who first meet COVID-19 suspects/patients whilst those with higher grades who have been allocated with highest risk allowance are always busy in offices n in meetings. They just receive reports for them to make formal announcements. So, the actualization of these risk allowances ought to be head-way-down lest this effort will definitely hit a concrete wall.
      This is just a preliminary selfless piece of advice, or, go out there in the field and find out for yourself.
      About PPEs, oooh! It is worrisome that up to date FRONTLINE HEALTH WORKERS hardly access them yet it is heard n seen that a lot more companies n individuals of good will are donating them to various health institutions but for the authorities to make them available n be used by
      FRONTLINE HEALTH WORKERS, it is like gemstone thereby getting them directly exposed and eventually infected with COVID-19, too bad! If this hiccup won’t be addressed at its urgency it deserves a scenario whereby FRONTLINE HEALTH WORKERS will be keeping away from the suspects/patients of COVID-19 is inevitable coz life more precious n valuable than PPEs n risk allowances.
      Wake up policy makers!

    1. Eti eti Risk Allowance then compasation pomponso ndie chani? Kodi ndiye kuti ma doctors/nurses aliyense wapezeka ndi covid 19 will be compasated?

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