By Lamin Njie
Health Minister Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh said Saturday some of the country’s healthcare workers have begun casting greater focus on money instead of COVID-19 following an allowance gesture from the government.
“This allowance issue is very unfortunate. Government came up with the idea that, as we have been saying ever since: no one can ever pay health workers especially frontline health workers…,” Dr Samateh told national assembly members in Banjul on Saturday.
He added in the damning revelation: “But government said, ‘let’s give them honoraria’. Just to a token to say ‘thank you very much’. Now this honoraria, we said, ‘provide us with the list of the people who are at the frontline’. The problem started, unfortunately especially when the 500 million was announced.
“That’s when the problem as a health ministry started. Unfortunately, people start to even forget about COVID, all they talk about is money, money, money. That’s why I said our work is very very difficult.
“Now, we said, ‘provide the list’. When we talk about these things, it is not the majority, it’s just in the minority that do some of these things. The majority are hardworking, dedicated, sacrificing their lives for the people of this country.
“Now, that minority provided a list. In fact, when you look at the list and the estimates, it consumes almost the entire 500 million dalasis for allowances. That was the suggestion.”
