By: Ousman Saidykhan
Recently, Nuha Fofana, the President of the Association of Public and Environmental Health Officers of the Gambia (APEHOG), expressed disappointment over government’s decision to suspend 371 health officers without pay; a decision he said they are working on to get reversed.
“[We are] disappointed because a lot of effort was put in by the executive to convince the membership to resume work,” Nuha said.
A letter coming from the Personnel Management Office, dated July 1st, suspended the two-month salaries of three hundred and seventy-one (371) health workers who were on strike just a day after they had agreed to resume work.
“We agreed to commence work on the 4th of July during an emergency congress we held on the 30th of June,” the APEHOG President confirmed.
APEHOG embarked on a sit-down strike since last month over demands that the Health Ministry include them in the new allowance scheme. The Ministry proposed a specific allowance for Medical Doctors and others which the association deems discriminatory to other cadres within the health sector. They demanded this be suspended.
In a press release dated 28th June 2022, the Health Ministry called on the protesting APEHOG members to call off the sit-down strike and immediately resume work the following day or risk shouldering “administrative actions”, including withholding their salaries.
However, the health workers countered the ministry’s warning, saying they “sailed too far to be dictated or intimidated” and that they would resume working based on their own accord.
Meanwhile, despite being disappointed with the government over the suspension, the association is exploiting avenues to overturn the decision.
“A selected task force is working with the government to revert their decision, both the suspension and ensuring that our demands are met,” APEHOG President said.
Nuha is optimistic that they will drive home their demands through the task force’s engagement with the ministry.
