Doctors Sign Service Agreements with the Public Service Commission

By Lagi Keresoma

APIA, SAMOA – 17 JULY 2023: Fifteen doctors have signed Service Agreements to work for the Ministry of Heath under the conditions offered by the Public Service Commission to resolve the longstanding issues of overtime and allowances.

Currently, there are 17 doctors under the Government payroll and under the new arrangement, they are not entitled to overtime but to a Responsibility Allowance of 60% of their annual salary.

But for doctors who declined the agreement, they can still work as private practitioners but can be contracted to serve the public hospitals at an hourly rate.

According to PSC, the arrangement is to cover for staff shortage and is also an opportunity to provide on the job mentoring for young doctors especially House Surgeons.

The parties came to the agreement after their meeting two weeks ago where the Government gave the doctors options and a week to think about it.

Under the arrangement, some of the doctors who signed the agreement now serve as Head of Departments and some as Specialists within certain sections of the Ministry of Health.

Doctors & nurses happy with outstanding overtime payment
Cabinet has also approved $7.3 million to pay the doctors and nurses long outstanding overtime and allowances that goes back to the previous administration.

The outstanding overtime and allowances resulted from the unlimited overtime allowed medical staff under the National Health Services when health services were provided under two entities and using two separate working guidelines.

In parliament, both the Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa and the Minister of Health Valasi Tafito Selesele revealed figures as high as $400,000 paid in overtime and allowances to one medical staff under the previous working arrangement.

Two weeks ago, the Samoa Medical Association said medical staff were to work only to an 8.00 to 5.00 shifts if their demands were not met.

This was later delayed as negotiations continued resulting in the signing of the Service Agreements last Friday.

The President of the Samoa Nurses Association, Solialofi Papalii told Talamua that they have agreed and have accepted the offer by the Public Service Commission.

“We also welcome the PSC decisions to put aside the fixed rate and pay our overtime,” she said.

Solialofi also said negotiations had been hard and extensive and is grateful that PSC for the decision reached.