THE Ministry of Health and Medical Services wishes to clarify and respond to the various comments circulating via various platforms.
As a brief background, the Ministry of Health currently recruits a total of 38 primary specialist doctors on special contracts. Of the 38, only 7 contracts ended at end of June 2024. Their contracts lapsed and re-engagement processes are in progress for them.
The Ministry also clarifies that the National Referral Hospital currently has 120 doctors including the 38 specialists.
For the 7 clinical specialists whose contracts have ended, four have had their 3 months extension approved by the Public Service Commission, whilst others will be sorted out in the coming week. They are not left dry as insinuated in initial reports, but rather, a 3-month extension has been granted to them. The extension is to allow MHMS and Public Service to implement the recruitment and reengagement process.
MHMS also clarifies the issue of having their salaries cut. Their basic salaries are being cut because their contracts have ended, however the allowances entitled to them are continually being paid to them, so in essence they are currently receiving part of their pay. Once they are reengaged, their basic salaries will be reinstated and backdated.
These medical specialists are highly paid public servants and officers in the country. They have their basic paid salaries renumerated at Super Scale level, and given the nature of their work and their work environment, they are entitled to 12 specialist allowances and benefits including the following:
- gratuity,
- education grant,
- accommodation grant,
- transport allowances
- Special Duty Allowance (SDA),
- Call back
- salary supplementation per year,
- Dirty and Danger Allowance (DDA)
- Retention
- Utilities
- Overseas travel benefits Passages, clothing allowance
- Equipment allowances
Meanwhile, the ministry wishes to thank the medical specialists for their fine services rendered to the people of this country.
