By: Gegee Brima
PYNESVILLE CITY – In a bold display of frustration, nurses and doctors at the ELWA Hospital in Paynesville City on Monday staged a peaceful protest to demand fair compensation and improved working conditions, citing a widening gap between the high cost of healthcare services and their meager earnings.
The protesters revealed that while patients are charged as much as LD 200,000 for treatment, most medical staff take home salaries below LD 15,000 — a disparity they say threatens both their welfare and the quality of care they provide.
Several healthcare workers expressed dismay that, when they themselves fall ill, hospitals deduct substantial amounts from their already low salaries to cover medical expenses.
They further lamented that educational qualifications such as Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees bring no financial advantage, as even non-medical staff reportedly earn nearly identical wages.
The demonstrators also decried unsafe working environments, delayed salary payments, and the lack of essential transportation services, including staff buses and ambulances, which they say have made their jobs increasingly difficult and dangerous.
According to the group, repeated engagements with hospital management have failed to produce tangible results, leaving them with no choice but to take to the streets in demand of urgent reform.
