It is understood that while the Pharmaceutical Society of Sierra Leone and the Sierra Leone Midwives’ Association dissociated themselves from the strike action, the Young Pharmacists’ Group, Sierra Leone Nurses Association and the Sierra Leone Association of Community Health Officers (CHOs) agreed to call off their pending strike notice.

Unfortunately, representatives of the Sierra Leone Medical and Dental Association and the Junior Doctors’ Association insisted on their demands (additional hospital spaces, construction of infectious disease centre, equipment and supplies, post graduate training, medical insurance scheme for the poor and destitute, increase salaries and allowances exceeding 1,000 percent, among others) hence refused to immediately cooperate.

Government’s representatives at the negotiations – Minister of Finance Jacob Jusu Saffa, Health Minister, Dr. Alpha Tejan Wurie, Labour Minister Adekunle King and Financial Secretary Sahr L. Jusu, underscored government’s commitment to recruit 4,000 professional health workers, including government-funded health workers upon graduation as well as establishment of the Wages and Salaries Commission that will review and harmonize wages and salaries of public sector workers, health sector workers included.

It was further pointed out in the meeting held in the office of the Minister of Finance that there has been a 10% increase in transport allowance for workers in Grades 1 to 6 in the 2018 Supplementary Budget; and the 10% and 5% salary increases in the 2019 Budget for professional health workers in Grades 1 to 6 and Grades 7 and above respectively.