Frontline workers at Kamuzu College of Nursing COVID-19 isolation center in Blantyre have stopped attending to clients to force authorities pay them outstanding allowances.
They have since threatened they will release the clients should their demand stays unaddressed to immediately.
Their representative, Mike Ngozanga, says being frontline workers, they put their lives at risk helping COVID-19 clients and therefore deserve proper treatment.
“For now, we are not going to release the clients but we are not helping them unless there is something which needs emergency treatment.
“We are waiting for the in charge of this quarantine center to address us together with those from the Department of Disaster Management Affairs.
“If they will tell us something tangible, then we will see the way forward. If that will not be tangible, then we will go ahead with our plan to discharge the clients to go to their homes,” he said.
Director of Health and Social Services for Blantyre, Dr. Gift Kawalazira, met the workers on Tuesday where he admitted that government is owing them the allowances.
“We have agreed that they need to keep in mind that they are health workers and they have responsibility towards people’s lives so they cannot take such drastic measures.
“We have agreed that they are going to follow normal channels when following up their grievances. For now, work will continue as normal whilst we are also following up on the arrears they have accumulated, he said.
Dr. Kawalazira says the arrears have accumulated to about K12 million for the three months.
