The Lesotho Nurses Association (LNA) and Qiloane Nursing Assistants Association (QINUASA) wrote a letter to the General Secretary of the Lesotho Catholic Bishops Conference (LCBC), informing him that some of the Christian Health Association of Lesotho (CHAL) health facilities members have not received their salaries for the month of March.

In a letter, the two associations indicated that they are also aware that the facilities have not obtained money to buy supplies such as drugs and pay for utilities, thus hampering effective delivery of health care services.

Members in these facilities also do not have adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) particularly in this era of COVID-19, and the two associations said they were informed that this is due to the failure of the government through the Ministry of Health to pay quarterly subvention allocation to CHAL.

As a result the two associations announced on Sunday the 5th April that all affected nurses and nursing assistants, will not be able to go to work starting from today until they get their salaries.

This decision is based on the fact that the affected nurses and their assistants, do not have money for transport to work, they are not able to meet their daily needs as they can’t even buy food and soap to wash their clothes, particularly in this era of COVID-19, and they are prone to acquire occupational diseases due to low immunity.