Ebola crisis: Sierra Leone health workers strike
There have been almost 300 new Ebola cases in Sierra Leone in the past three days
Hundreds of health workers involved in treating Ebola patients have gone on strike at a clinic in Sierra Leone.
The staff are protesting about the government's failure to pay an agreed weekly $100 (£63) "hazard payment". A few are still assisting at the clinic.
The clinic, in Bandajuma near Bo, is the only Ebola treatment centre in southern Sierra Leone.
Nearly 5,000 people have been killed in the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.Continue...
There are international staff at the clinic but they are unable to keep the clinic open on their own.
The staff, who are protesting outside the clinic, say the government agreed to the "hazard payments" when the facility was established but has failed to make any payments since September.
The money was due to be paid in addition to salaries the staff receive from MSF.
On Wednesday afternoon, a representative of the workers told the BBC that a few colleagues had returned to the ward to offer minimal assistance "in the interest of the patients who are our people".
However, he stressed that the strike was still on.
Earlier, representative Mohamed Mbawah told the BBC his colleagues had already turned away one ambulance.
Hundreds of health workers involved in treating Ebola patients have gone on strike at a clinic in Sierra Leone.
The staff are protesting about the government's failure to pay an agreed weekly $100 (£63) "hazard payment". A few are still assisting at the clinic.
The clinic, in Bandajuma near Bo, is the only Ebola treatment centre in southern Sierra Leone.
Nearly 5,000 people have been killed in the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.Continue...
There are international staff at the clinic but they are unable to keep the clinic open on their own.
The staff, who are protesting outside the clinic, say the government agreed to the "hazard payments" when the facility was established but has failed to make any payments since September.
The money was due to be paid in addition to salaries the staff receive from MSF.
On Wednesday afternoon, a representative of the workers told the BBC that a few colleagues had returned to the ward to offer minimal assistance "in the interest of the patients who are our people".
However, he stressed that the strike was still on.
Earlier, representative Mohamed Mbawah told the BBC his colleagues had already turned away one ambulance.
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