Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey on Monday said while risk allowance is paid to staff directly dealing with COVID-19 patients at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), the list of those who can benefit is constantly amended to include new departments.
“The Georgetown Hospital has been paying risk allowance to persons who are directly involved in managing COVID-19 patients…everyone who have been working or are considered to be working with the COVID response have been getting a risk allowance,” Dr. Jeffrey said.
He added that “it is sometimes difficult to decide clear markers as to who is involved and who is not involved.”
“So it’s dynamic, it changes from time to time.
“I know there have been times when they have included other departments into the team of persons that get risk allowance so it is not something that was carved in stone.
“If you recognise over time there have been persons who have to manage COVID-19 patients on a regular basis, then they were included in the ones who receive a risk allowance.”
The list of persons who gets risk allowance include Doctors, Nurses, Technicians and other persons stationed at the various screening points of the GPHC. While there are some fixed persons working with COVID-19 patients, others are rotated.
Dr. Jeffrey noted that those paid risk allowance also include persons screening patients at the gate and those identified by the Heads of Department.
His comment came as nurses continue protesting for risk allowance.
Medical practitioners have taken to the streets over the past week calling for a risk allowance for working during a pandemic and a 50% increase in their salaries.
They have also called for other resources in a protest supported by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).
