SIERRA LEONE GOVERNMENT
PRESS RELEASE
GOVERNMENT, THROUGH THE MINISTRIES OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH AND SANITATION, WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF THE EBOLA EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE (EOC), HEREBY ANNOUNCES THE APPROVAL OF AN AMOUNT OF LE82.1 BILLION EQUIVALENT TO US$18.2 MILLION FOR THE PAYMENT OF WEEKLY INCENTIVES TO ELIGIBLE HEALTH AND NON-HEALTH PERSONNEL TO ENHANCE THE FIGHT AGAINST THE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE FOR AN INITIAL PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS EFFECTIVE 1ST SEPTEMBER 2014 TO 28TH FEBRUARY 2015 AS FOLLOWS:
|
No |
Category of Staff |
No. of Personnel |
Amount per person (Le) |
|
1. |
Staff in Treatment Centers |
1,500 |
500,000 per week |
|
2. |
Burial Team |
250 |
500,000 per week |
|
3. |
Staff in Holding Centers |
438 |
400,000 per week |
|
4. |
Staff in Laboratory |
80 |
400,000 per week |
|
5. |
Staff in affected Communities |
8,000 |
200,000 per week |
|
6 |
Contact Tracers |
2,100 |
100,000 per week |
|
7 |
Screening Personnel |
240 |
100,000 per week |
THIS PROGRAMME IS JOINTLY FUNDED BY GOVERNMENT, THE WORLD BANK, THE GLOBAL FUND AND THE UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND, WITH GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTING AN AMOUNT OF LE29.7 BILLION.
THE PUBLIC IS HEREBY REMINDED THAT THE FUNDS BEING PROVIDED FOR INCENTIVES TO HEALTH WORKERS IS IN ADDITION TO FUNDS ALREADY PROVIDED BY GOVERNMENT TO HELP FIGHT THE EBOLA OUTBREAK. THIS PAYMENT WILL BE EFFECTED BY THE EOC THROUGH THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE EBOLA ACCOUNT HELD AT THE SIERRA LEONE COMMERCIAL BANK AND THE BANK OF SIERRA LEONE RESPECTIVELY. PAYMENTS WIL BE MADE TO BENEFICIARY STAFF BY DISTRICT MEDICAL OFFICERS IN EACH REGION.
THE DISTRICT MEDICAL OFFICERS WILL ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY TO ACCOUNT FOR THE PAYMENTS TO PERSONNEL WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION AND SUBMIT RETURNS TO THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE PERMANENT SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND SANITATION, PROMPTLY TO FACILITATE TIMELY RELEASE OF FUNDS EACH WEEK.
IN THIS REGARD, A TOTAL AMOUNT OF LE 3 BILLION WILL BE RELEASED ON A WEELY BASIS TO DISTRICT MEDICAL OFFICERS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT TO PAY INCENTIVES TO ELIGIBLE HEALTH WORKERS BEGINNING THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 6, 2014 .
FINALLY, PLANS ARE BEING FINALIZED TO PAY A LUMP SUM BENEFIT TO ALL EBOLA DISCHARGED PATIENTS AND TO ALL HEALTH PERSONNEL IN THE UNFORTUNATE OCCURRENCE OF DEATH. ALSO, STRONG EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE PERSONAL PROTECTION GEAR TO ALL FRONTLINE HEALTH AND NON-HEALTH WORKERS.
THE CONTINUING COOPERATION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS SOLICITED TO ASSIST GOVERNMENT EFFORTS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE.
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