ASSOCIATION PLEADS WITH GOVERNMENT 

Maseru, Nov. 03 — The Lesotho Medical Association has pleaded with the Government of Lesotho through the Ministry of Health to put all its resources into solving the issues between them (Association and government). 

This follows a decision by members of the Association to stop working overtime due to failure by the Ministry of Health to pay money owed to doctors for call allowance. 

According to a press statement from the Association, they did everything in their power to meet the Ministry of Health halfway on the issue of allowance, but a large number of doctors remain unpaid for their call allowance including the October 2023 allowances although the Ministry had promised that it will have paid everyone owed. 

The struggle by doctors to get paid for working overtime emerged in March this year after the Ministry of Health failed to pay the Doctors their call allowances from 2019. Their strike was however suspended on September 20, 2023 following negotiations and agreement reached between the Association and the Ministry of Health. 

According to the agreement, the Ministry of Health would pay outstanding allowance claims for all Doctors before December 2023. It also stated that doctors resume call duties from October 01 2023 and the Ministry of Health will pay for all those calls at the end of November together with salaries for the same month. 

However, the Association indicates in the statement that the Ministry did not uphold any of the conditions in the agreement. They indicate that they now have no option but to stop the calls with immediate effect pending payment of the allowances.