Statement by President Irfaan Ali, on Adjustment of Salaries in the Health Sector

Fellow Guyanese, in keeping with the PPP manifesto and in keeping with our commitment earlier this year categorically stated that during the course of this year, we will be adjusting the salaries of healthcare workers to remove anomalies and also to ensure that in keeping with our manifesto we deliver better healthcare, we deliver stronger health care but more importantly, to ensure that our healthcare workers enjoy a good salary and a better standard of living.

Recently, I announced the first phase of additional adjustments to the salaries of selected categories of employees of the disciplined services. I also indicated that I would be making subsequent announcements regarding additional adjustments to the salaries payable to other selected categories of employees of the public sector.

Accordingly, I am now pleased to announce the following adjustments to the salaries payable to specified positions within the Health Sector, and these adjustments are on top of the 8 percent across-the-board increase already announced.

These additional adjustments will take effect from 1^st January 2023.

I wish to address the following categories:

DOCTORS

In order to ensure that the public healthcare system is able to attract talented young professionals, we will be making salary adjustments to several categories of doctors working in the system, including as follows:

• Medical Interns will now have their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $151,374 to $200,000. This represents an additional 32.1 percent increase on the current minimum salary paid to a Medical Intern.

• Medical Officers, whether employed at the GPHC or elsewhere, will now have their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $219,878 to $300,000. This represents an additional 36.4 percent increase on the current minimum salary paid to a Medical Officer.

• Medical Officers who have completed one year of post-employment experience (for example, a second year GMO) will now have their current minimum salary adjusted to $351,204 in line with the current practice at the GPHC.

• Medical Officers who have completed two years of post-employment experience (example, a third year GMO) will now have their current minimum salary adjusted to $414,032 in line with the current practice at the GPHC.

• Medical Officers who have completed three years of post-employment experience (example., a fourth-year GMO) will now have their current minimum salary adjusted to $446,160 in line with the current practice at the GPHC.

• Specialist Doctors (e.g. obstetricians and gynaecologists, neurosurgeons, dermatologists, orthopedic surgeons, etc.) will now have their minimum salaries adjusted upwards of $276,536 to $450,000. This represents an additional increase of 62.7 percent on the current minimum salaries.

NURSES

• For our Nurse Aides and Patient Care Assistants will now have their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $80,892 to $100,000. This represents an additional 23.6 percent increase on the current minimum salary paid to each worker.

• Nursing Assistants will now have their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $88,525 to $115,000. This represents an additional 29.9 percent increase on the current minimum salary paid to a Nursing Assistant.

• Midwives will now have their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $96,974 to $169,438. This represents an additional 74.7 percent increase on the current minimum salary paid to a Midwife.

• Staff Nurses will now have their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $111,628 to $169,438. This represents an additional 51.8 percent increase on the current minimum salary paid to a Staff Nurse.

• Staff Nurses/Midwives will now have their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $127,963 to $195,000. This represents an additional 52.4 percent increase on the current minimum salary paid to a Staff Nurse/Midwife.

ALLIED HEALTH WORKERS

In order to ensure that the public health care system is supported by adequately qualified technicians and allied health professionals, we will be adjusting the salaries payable to several categories of these workers, including:

• Pharmacy Assistants will now all have their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $84,662 to $100,000. This represents as much as an additional 18.1 percent increase on the current minimum salary paid to these workers.

• Dental Aides and (Laboratory) Aides will now all have their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from as low as $80,892 to $100,000. This represents as much as an additional 23.6 percent increase on the current minimum salary paid to these workers.

• Community Health Workers will now have their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $88,525 to $100,000. This represents an additional 13 percent increase on the current minimum salary.

• Medex will now have their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $152,420 to $200,000. This represents an additional 31.2 percent increase on the current minimum salary.

• Pharmacists will now have their current minimum salary adjusted from $127,963 to $215,000. This represents a 68% increase on their current minimum salary.

These revisions to the salaries of these workers will benefit over 5,000 persons and will increase disposable incomes by over $1.5 billion annually. This represents a further instalment of my Government’s unwavering commitment to continue the improvement of the working conditions of our employees in the public sector and, indeed, of all Guyanese.

This evening I’m pleased to be able to make these announcements.

I want to say to all Guyanese that this Government remains committed to bringing prosperity to every home and improving the livelihoods and living conditions of every single Guyanese in every single village, and in every single profession.

We are working day in and day out to make your lives better.

Every day is getting better. Every year will get better.

We ask you to stay the course with us as we work together to make life more beautiful, promising and prosperous in this country. Every single one of our commitments, whether to the health workers, whether the cane farmers, we have kept our commitment to the people of this country.

We ask of our healthcare workers to deliver at the highest level. We ask you to repay our country with excellent care, good customer service, patience and love, dedication and commitment, trust and fulfilment of your oath. These are only some of the long categories of workers in the healthcare system that I have addressed tonight. But I’m pleased to say that our healthcare system is not only getting stronger from an infrastructure perspective, a medical perspective, a skill perspective, human resource perspective, but now with this announcement, it is getting stronger from a welfare perspective where our health workers will now understand fully that this Government cares about them and about every single citizen of our country.

I thank you, and may God bless you.