HEALTH WORKERS CRY FOUL

Over one hundred Lilongwe District Health Office staff members who declared their sero status have not yet received their January special allowances as per government directive.Government introduced special monthly allowance of five thousand kwacha for all civil servants who declare their sero-status and are HIV positive.Lilongwe District Health Officer, Dr. Mwawi Mwale says the development was a result of the delay in funding and processing of the banking accounts for the staff members.Recently, government ordered all civil servants in the country to open bank accounts through which to access their salaries.And 1st February was the deadline.Now the introduction of this new system appears to have thrown things into disarray at Lilongwe District Health office, with over one hundred staff members who declared the HIV status failing to get their January special allowances.One of the workers who stormed ZBS offices in Lilongwe on Tuesday says the development has greatly affected them.Government introduced special monthly allowances of five thousand kwacha for all civil servants who declare their sero-status and are HIV positive.