Systemic non-payment plaguing SERHA health staff

THE EDITOR, Madam:

It is deeply troubling and unacceptable that a number of doctors and nurses in the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) remain unpaid for months at a time – even as they continue serving under strained conditions.

Consider this: some staff have gone two months without pay, with May’s salary only disbursed at the end of June – and only after repeated follow-ups. Today, many are still awaiting payment for July and August, while colleagues in the same region have already been paid. Attempts to call the Kingston & St Andrew (KSA) accounts office result in constant delays and nothing but vague promises. People have bills to pay and have families to maintain.

This is not just a payroll oversight – it is a systemic failure that undermines staff morale and patient care. Doctors and nurses are expected to work long hours in under-resourced facilities, yet cannot rely on timely payment for their service. Some have already resigned in frustration, leaving remaining staff even more overburdened.

We are calling on the Minister of Health and the officials in the ministry to look into this issue and resolve it at the earliest. SERHA should immediately ensure that outstanding salaries are paid and that steps are taken so such delays never happen again.

How can Jamaica retain dedicated doctors and nurses when they cannot even rely on being paid on time for the work they have already done? The public deserves better, and so do the health workers who keep the system alive.

FRUSTRATED HEALTH

WORKER