-NPAAL Condemns Arrests
National Physician Assistant Association of Liberia, NPAAL, has condemned the alleged arrest of three health workers, as the protest continues unabated, stalling normal operations of the hospital.
NPAAL’s President, Theophilus Fayiah, said the arrest of the three health workers for their link to the ongoing protest is an attempt to intimidate workers demanding better working conditions at the Phebe Hospital.
Mr. Fayiah told reporters that claims that the protesters have threatened to burn down the Hospital if the Government fails to address their concerns, are untrue.
He clarified that the health workers only intention was to peacefully suspend services until their concerns were addressed, insisting they neither carried weapons nor planned to endanger lives.
“We are not threatening anyone. We simply said we would stop offering our services because our concerns have not been addressed,” Fayiah said, adding that the protest had remained peaceful and that workers deliberately stayed away from the hospital premises to avoid confrontations.
Fayiah argued that health workers have endured years of poor salaries, inadequate benefits, and unfavorable working conditions, describing the hospital as a “traumatic zone” for many employees. He alleged that authorities were attempting to portray the protesters as troublemakers instead of addressing the underlying issues.
The NPAAL’s President has further accused police of coercing the detained workers into making statements without legal representation, questioning the evidence behind allegations that they intend to burn the hospital.
“There is no crime. If anyone claims they threatened to burn the hospital, let them produce the evidence,” he said.
Fayiah is calling for the immediate release from further detention the three health workers, urging the government to pursue dialogue rather than intimidation in resolving the dispute.
He disclosed that the Association has called on healthcare workers at C.B. Dunbar Hospital to suspend work in solidarity with their colleagues at Phebe Hospital, saying, “An injury to one is an injury to all.”
On questions about salaries, Fayiah said compensation for healthcare workers across Liberia remains inconsistent, adding that some physician assistants earn as little as US$95 per month, others US$250 or US$400, while some volunteers have reportedly worked for more than 15 years without being placed on the payroll.
Although salary concerns are significant, Fayiah stressed that the protest extends beyond wages, citing poor management, strained labor relations, and what he described as a lack of respect for healthcare workers.
The protesting workers are demanding the immediate dismissal of the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Minnie Sankawulo-Ricks, as well as the Human Resource Manager and his assistant, accusing the administration of poor labor practices and creating an unhealthy working environment.
