Healthcare workers get salary increases-As much as 74 percent salary hike for new year

Healthcare workers will start the new year in fine style with the salary increases announced by President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali.

Dr. Ali moments ago announced that healthcare workers will receive the following:

• Medical interns will now have their minimum salary increased from $151,357 to $200,000 (32.1 % increase)

• Medical officers will have their minimum salaries adjusted from $219,878 to $300,000 (36.4% increase)

• Medical officer who completed one year of post-employment experience will now be paid at minimum, $351, 204

• Medical officer who completed two years of post-employment experience will be paid $414,032

• Medical officer who completed three years of post-employment experience will have a salary of $444,160

• Specialist doctors like Neurosurgeons, gynaecologists, orthopaedic surgeons etc. will have their salaries hiked from $276, 536 to $450,000 (62.7% increase)

• Nurses, Nurse Aids and Patient-care Assistants will get $100,000 (23.6% increase.)

• Nursing Assistants’ salaries have been adjusted from $88,525 to 115,000 (29.9% increase)

• Midwives’ salaries have been increased from S96,974 to $169,438 (74.7% increase)

• Staff Nurses who took home $111,628 will now get $169,438 (51.8% increase)

• Staff Nurses Midwives will receive an increase from $127, 963 to $195,000 (54.4% increase)

Allied Health workers

• Pharmacy Assistants who got $84,662 will be getting $100,000 (18.1% increase)

• Dental Aids and Lab Aids who got $80,892 will also get $100,000

• Community Health workers’ salaries have been adjusted from $88,525 to $100,000 (13% increase)

• Medex salaries will be moved from $152,420 to $200,000 (31.1% increase)

• Pharmacists who got $127,963 got an increase to $215,000 (68% increase)

These new salary adjustments will take effect from January 1,2023.

President Ali said, “these revisions to the salaries of these workers will benefit over 5000 persons and will increase the disposable income by over $1.5 billion annually. This represents a further instalment of my government’s unwavering commitment, to continue the improvement of the working conditions of our employees in the public sector.”

He noted that his government remains committed to bettering the lives of all Guyanese.

“Everyday is getting better; every year will get better. We ask you to stay the course with us as we work together on making life more beautiful, promising and prosperous in this country,” the Head of State affirmed.

He also urged healthcare workers to be dedicated employees and work in the best interest of patients.

This announcement is in addition to the 8 percent increase across the board for public servants.

This increase for healthcare workers follows the bonus that was given to them last year. In 2021, 9,200 public sector healthcare workers received a one-off tax-free bonus of two weeks’ worth of their salaries.

The Finance Ministry is on record as stating that some $612 million was doled out by the Government to facilitate the bonus.

This bonus, according to the President, was an incentive for the hard work of healthcare workers in the face of the deadly coronavirus and for them to continue diligently executing their duties.

Also, in 2020, the government distributed a similar payout to healthcare workers of two weeks’ worth of their salaries.

Earlier in November, President Ali announced an 8 per cent across-the-board increase for all public servants, including members of the disciplined services, retroactive to January.

The salary increases and the bonus is just a portion of the cash payouts to Guyanese from August 2020.

Others include the $25,000 Covid-19 cash grant, restoration of the Because We Care cash grant, special needs cash grant, flood grant amongst many of others.