N$87 million for coronavirus salaries
Government will shell out millions in health worker salaries in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
RONELLE RADEMEYER & JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
Cabinet has approved a salary budget of close to N$87 million for the deployment of more than 3 000 health workers for a period of six months.
Made up of doctors, technical experts, nursing staff, pharmacists, social workers and other health workers, the group is part of government's fight against the coronavirus.
In a letter to the executive director in the health ministry Ben Nangombe, dated 9 April, Secretary to Cabinet George Simaata confirmed that this request – made by the health ministry on 3 April – has been approved.
According to a document seen by Namibian Sun, government is expected to fork out about N$64.9 million for salaries as well as risk allowances for a total of 2 605 medical and support staff.
These experts will include 136 medical doctors, 278 emergency practitioners as well as medical technicians.
In addition, N$21.7 million has been earmarked for grants for additional officials in the health ministry and 25 technical experts.
More than 1 000 recruited
Upon inquiry, health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula yesterday said, to date, more than 1 000 medical personnel had been recruited for work related to this fight.
According to him, this includes health workers deployed at roadblocks, as well as medical staff who are part of the case management unit.
Their job is to find, among other things, people with whom coronavirus patients have had contact.
Shangula emphasised that they have been appointed only for the duration of the pandemic and are considered support staff.
“We have already started to recruit and appoint people. I do not have the exact number, but it is more than 1 000 people. They are additional staff for the Covid-19 combat operations,” he said.
Namibia has so far reported only 16 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
By the time of going to press, according to worldometers.info, 3 589 263 cases had been reported globally, of which 248 847 people had died.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Cabinet has approved a salary budget of close to N$87 million for the deployment of more than 3 000 health workers for a period of six months.
Made up of doctors, technical experts, nursing staff, pharmacists, social workers and other health workers, the group is part of government's fight against the coronavirus.
In a letter to the executive director in the health ministry Ben Nangombe, dated 9 April, Secretary to Cabinet George Simaata confirmed that this request – made by the health ministry on 3 April – has been approved.
According to a document seen by Namibian Sun, government is expected to fork out about N$64.9 million for salaries as well as risk allowances for a total of 2 605 medical and support staff.
These experts will include 136 medical doctors, 278 emergency practitioners as well as medical technicians.
In addition, N$21.7 million has been earmarked for grants for additional officials in the health ministry and 25 technical experts.
More than 1 000 recruited
Upon inquiry, health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula yesterday said, to date, more than 1 000 medical personnel had been recruited for work related to this fight.
According to him, this includes health workers deployed at roadblocks, as well as medical staff who are part of the case management unit.
Their job is to find, among other things, people with whom coronavirus patients have had contact.
Shangula emphasised that they have been appointed only for the duration of the pandemic and are considered support staff.
“We have already started to recruit and appoint people. I do not have the exact number, but it is more than 1 000 people. They are additional staff for the Covid-19 combat operations,” he said.
Namibia has so far reported only 16 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
By the time of going to press, according to worldometers.info, 3 589 263 cases had been reported globally, of which 248 847 people had died.
[email protected]
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