By Congo Town, Liberia – Employees of TB-Annex Hospital staged a protest outside the Ministry of Health, seeking increased salaries and improved benefits. Ballah Benjamin, the head of Assistance Respiratory Therapist at TB Annex, presented a petition on behalf of the protestors, highlighting the institution’s marginalization over the last four years and the denial of legitimate risk benefits.
During the protest, Benjamin emphasized that TB Annex staffers have faced stigmatization due to their assignments, especially considering the highly infectious nature of their work at the referral center, which caters to drug-resistant patients. He underscored the unique challenges faced by health workers at the Annex, the only facility in the country providing care for such patients.
The head of Assistance Respiratory therapy also expressed the staff’s grievances, including the lack of a special school for their children, dedicated transport services, a specialized market for groceries, and appropriate accommodation reflecting the nature of their work. Benjamin highlighted the repeated appeals made over the past four years for the restoration of risk allowances and the need for harmonized salaries.
Upon receiving the petition on behalf of the Health Minister, Cllr. Tomik Vogba, the Head of the Legal Department at the Ministry of Health, urged the protestors to remain calm. He assured them that the ministry is actively working on modalities to increase their salaries. Cllr. Vogba emphasized that their concerns would receive attention during the Boakai administration.
By: Domingo Dargbeh
