Liberian health workers continue treating the sick even with limited protective gear

A call for thousands of Liberian healthcare workers to begin an indefinite strike has largely been ignored by the majority.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The National Health Workers Association of Liberia (NHWAL) called for the strike-which was set to begin on October 13-after a meeting the national government on October 10 ended in a deadlock.

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"The government of Liberia has not changed their posture. They do not want to engage us so that we can talk," said George Williams, the secretary general of the NHWAL. "Time is running out, by 1200 midnight on Monday morning, we will be starting the go-slow action."

But Mathew Flomo, Liberia's deputy health minister, said he was not aware of any attempts to strike.

The NHWAL had claimed that about 80% of the medical workers would go on strike, but very few have.

The government had asked that health workers be reasonable. Even without added hazard pay, it appears that workers are not willing to accept the negative consequences of going on strike during the world's worst Ebola outbreak.

Of the West African Ebola outbreak, Liberia is the hardest hit. More than 4,033 people have died of Ebola so far, and 3,924 of them were from Liberia.

"There needs to be a proper coordination of what is being donated by the international community," said Williams. "We're hearing about millions of dollars of taxpayers' money being donated and we appreciate every cent. But we need to see it at the health facilities."

Currently, many healthcare workers in Liberia complain that they do not have enough protective equipment, nor is what they do have adequate.

"The public is aware that health workers are dying because they are not protected. Nobody is supposed to die while protecting lives, we have been calling on the government to give us protective gear but they are not doing so," he said.

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