Retrenched staff to get free treatment

 RETRENCHED staff of the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority will receive free medical treatment at any health facility in the province and Jiwaka, an officer says.

Authority chief executive officer, Dr James Kintwa said this during a gathering last week to farewell 20 long-serving employees. Two of them had already died.

Kintwa said the retrenched employees and their immediate family members would receive free medical treatment at any health facility in appreciation for their long years of service.

“Plenty of you worked under very difficult conditions with no proper communication and I thank you,” he said.

“Some of you are from other provinces but regardless of that, all of you had committed yourselves to your jobs.

“If you are sick, we will give you and your families free health service in appreciation for all the work that you have done for our people.”

“I want retrenched nursing officers and community health workers to go for a month’s break and come back and work with us on short-term contracts because we are very short of clinical staff,” he said.

He said the authority’s staff would undergo regular medical checks at least twice a year.

The retrenched staff comprised 12 men and eight women and were either nursing officers, community health workers, plumbers or housekeepers.  

On behalf of the retrenched officers, Sr Acwe Mambu thanked the management for recognising their service.