MONROVIA — Operations at the ELWA Hospital in Paynesville have been severely disrupted as health workers launched a “go-slow” protest, demanding the immediate payment of salary arrears and benefits they say have been delayed for months.
Chanting “No Money, No Work,” the striking staff halted most services at the Christian-run referral hospital, leaving only emergency and critical care departments partially functional. The action has sparked fears of deteriorating patient care amid Liberia’s already strained health system.
Speaking to reporters during the protest, Mr. Boima D. Dougba, Chairman of the ELWA Hospital Workers’ Union, accused the hospital’s management of financial mismanagement and poor communication.
He alleged that a US$50,000 donation reportedly raised by a former Chief Executive Officer from international donors “has vanished without accountability.”
“Where is the $50,000? That money was meant to support the hospital and improve staff welfare,” Dougba said. “We are here working under difficult conditions, and yet there is no transparency or concern for our wellbeing.”
Dougba further criticized the Ministry of Health (MoH) for what he described as “a year of silence” despite repeated letters seeking dialogue over their grievances.
“For a whole year, they have not called a meeting with us,” he lamented. “We’ve written several times, but no one is listening.”
The union leader decried what he called “bad labor practices” at the institution, including underpayment of staff, delayed salaries, and the absence of basic employment benefits such as healthcare coverage and pension contributions.
“We are a Christian hospital, but the way we are treated is unjust,” Dougba added. “All we are asking for is our pay and fair treatment.”
Others of Dougba’s colleagues claim that while deductions for NASSCORP are made from their salaries, the hospital does not remit the payments. The workers also cite unpaid COVID-19 arrears, lack of transportation such as buses and ambulances, an unsafe working environment, salary delays, and disparities in pay as key reasons for their protest.
Broader Context: Health Workers’ Frustration Across Liberia
The ELWA protest adds to a growing wave of discontent among Liberian health professionals in recent years. Similar “go-slow” actions have been recorded at John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Redemption Hospital, and several county health facilities, as workers continue to demand fair compensation, risk benefits, and better working conditions.
In 2020 and 2023, the National Health Workers Union of Liberia (NAHWUL) staged nationwide protests over unpaid hazard benefits and poor working conditions, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Many healthcare employees have long complained of being overworked, underpaid, and often lacking essential protective equipment and medical supplies.
Despite government promises to address salary harmonization and improve the welfare of medical workers, progress has been slow, leaving many health facilities—especially mission and private hospitals—struggling to retain qualified staff.
Call for Urgent Intervention
As the go-slow at ELWA enters its next phase, patients and community members have appealed for swift intervention from the Ministry of Health and the hospital’s board to prevent a full shutdown of services.
Dougba warned that workers will not return to full duties until management fulfills its commitments.
“We’re not against the hospital or management,” he said. “We just want what is rightfully ours. No money, no work.”
ELWA Hospital, founded in 1965 by Serving In Mission (SIM), is one of Liberia’s oldest and most respected faith-based health institutions, providing medical care to thousands of low-income residents in Paynesville and surrounding communities.
