Workers in Rivers State primary healthcare sub-sector have vowed to sustain their ongoing strike, which has entered the second month.The workers took the decision yesterday after their emergency meeting in Port Harcourt to review the strike
Chairman of the state Primary Healthcare Workers Union, Reuben Woluchem, said the terms announced by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker, did not meet the demands of the striking workers.
“We have met today to review the response of government to our demands. We have found out that government is not yet ready to address our demands, and the workers have resolved in this general meeting that they will not suspend the industrial action until our demands are met.
“That, in the best interest of public health and good health of Rivers people, government should ensure that our demands, especially the implementation of consolidated health service salary structure, which has already been implemented for our counterparts in Rivers State, are done,” he said.
The chairman of the primary healthcare workers said the union had not decided whether to take part in the proposed training of health workers to combat the Ebola virus.
“We have to investigate what the training actually stands for and check if it is what our members will attend, or encourage them to attend. But, now, we have not taken any position whether to attend that training programme or not,” he explained.
The state House of Assembly on Wednesday, had criticised preparations by the Ministry of Health to contain the Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the state.
The lawmakers had told Dr. Parker, when he briefed them on the state government’s preparedness to tackle the menace, that the ministry had not done much.

Rivers primary healthcare workers vow to sustain strike