After nearly six years of waiting, doctors, nurses, and other health workers at Helena Goldie Hospital (HGH) in Munda, Western Province, have finally received their long-overdue COVID-19 allowance reimbursements from the government.
The payments come as part of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services’ (MHMS) commitment to settle outstanding allowances owed to frontline workers who served during the height of the global pandemic between 2020 and 2022.
During that period, HGH staff were amongst the many health workers who worked tirelessly in care huts, isolation wards, quarantine facilities, and during COVID-19 burials, despite facing risks, limited resources, and uncertainty about their safety.
According to reports from Helena Goldie Hospital several nurses expressed relief and gratitude after receiving their long-awaited payments last week.
Many admitted they had long given up hope of ever being compensated.
“To be honest, most of us had completely forgotten about the COVID-19 allowance,” a senior nurse at Helena Goldie Hospital told Solomon Star this week.
“We thought maybe it would never come. But when we received the payment, we were so happy — it’s not just about the money, it’s the recognition of the work we did for our people during a very difficult time.”
The nurse recalled the challenges nurses faced when the pandemic reached the Western Province, saying they had to work around the clock to manage suspected cases, conduct contact tracing, and provide community awareness.
“It was a stressful period. We worked with fear in our hearts, but we continued because the community depended on us.
“We didn’t have proper equipment in the beginning, and some of us had to isolate ourselves from our families for weeks,” another nurse staff based in Munda said.
Hospital management also acknowledged the government’s effort to ensure the allowances were finally processed and delivered to the staff.
A hospital spokesperson said the payment served as a moral boost for many health workers who felt forgotten after the pandemic eased.
“This is a long-overdue but well-deserved payment,” the spokesperson added.
“It reminds our nurses and staff that their sacrifices during those difficult years have not gone unnoticed.”
The Western Provincial Health Authority (WPHA) has also confirmed that similar reimbursements have been made to other health facilities across the province as part of a nationwide settlement exercise.
However, many nurses and health workers across Western Province—particularly those serving in remote and rural areas—have voiced concerns that they have not yet received their COVID-19 allowances.
A senior nurse in Western Province who spoke to the Solomon Star last week on condition of anonymity said, there remains an unfair distribution of the outstanding payments among health workers.
“While some of our colleagues have already received their allowances, many of us out here in the provinces are still waiting. Who is responsible for ensuring we get what we rightfully deserve?” the nurse questioned.
She stressed that the government should ensure fair and equal payment for all health workers who served during the pandemic, regardless of their location or role.
“When such payments are made, they should be distributed across the board to include every nurse and frontline worker who worked tirelessly and made sacrifices during the COVID-19 crisis,” the concerned nurse added.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Gizo
