For the thirteenth consecutive day, Saida Governmental Hospital employees continued their strike, and carried out a sit-in in front of the emergency entrance in the hospital courtyard, in protest of not receiving their minimum financial dues and receiving their overdue salaries.
In a statement read by the head of the follow-up committee for hospital employees, Khalil Kain, on behalf of the protesters, he stated: “We are meeting today in front of the emergency entrance to tell everyone in this country, and in particular His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Firas Abyad, that the employees of Sidon Governmental Hospital did not receive their minimum monthly dues despite their strike for the thirteenth day, and we were supposed to get our salaries at the beginning of the week, according to what the Ministry of Health informed us , and its value does not exceed the salary and half, which means 50 percent of the monthly arrears. We are waiting for the practical results, which are, at least, to expedite the payment of overdue salaries to a minimum. The employee no longer has the ability to go on, in light of the financial and economic conditions that have changed for the worse.”
He called on the Minister of Public Health, Firas Abyad, and all those concerned with this issue, to disburse financial contributions, school grants, retroactive effect, and amend the transportation allowance.
He concluded: “Finally, we are continuing with the strike, and we are sorry for our people for not receiving you. Therefore, we ask you to raise your voice with us to save what is left of this institution.”