AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER - PNG MEDICAL SCIENTIST ASSOCIATION AWARDS 2014-2016 REJECTION BY DPM

I am Rabbie Nazel Bero, a Senior Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) working in Western Highland Provincial Health Authority, Pathology Department and I am also the Papua New Guinea Medical Scientist Association Rep of Highland Region, and I am from Enga, Wabag and an Adventist. I remember- 10 years ago, we used to worship together in Korobosea SDA Church in 3 mile Port Moresby while I was doing my Laboratory medicine at School of Medicine and Health Science, UPNG at 3 mile campus back then in 2010 to 2013. I used to sit in your lesson class and you used to be our leader and our Senior Elder at Korobosea SDA Church. I was so happy and excited when you were elected the 8th Prime Minister (PM) of the Country. God Almighty answered our prayers when you were elected the PM of this country.
Please, Honourable Prime Minister James Marape: This is something of urgency I just want to emphasise here and bring it to your attention. I felt that it was totally bias and unfair decision by Department of Personal Management (DPM) to consider and approve Nurses awards and NOT us- Papua New Guinea Medical Scientist Association’s (PNGMSA) award, so I just want to air this right now to you personally by letter and email.

First of all, this is regarding PNG Medical Laboratory Scientist Association (PNGMSA) Memorandum of Understanding or Memorandum of Agreement (MOU or MOA) Awards 2014 to 2016 which should have been awarded long time ago in 2014 to 2016 but was rejected so many time by DPM after submitting it several times by our President and his Executives. PNG National Department of Health (NDoH) knows about our profession and the importance of the Medical Laboratory Scientists who play a vital role in providing Quality Diagnostics Services to the people of PNG. Therefore, NDOH supported and endorsed our log of claims. Just like PNG National Doctors Association (PNGNDA) and PNG Nurses Association (PNGNA); PNG Medical Laboratory Scientist (PNGMLS) and our association PNGMSA and Allied Health Association in PNG plays a very significant role in providing medical, clinical prognostic and diagnostic services in public and private hospital pathology sections in all the hospitals and scientific research laboratories throughout the country. We are the backbone, basis and foundation of medicine. Without Pathology Laboratory Services (PLS), all hospitals would not function as usual and would eventually lead to close down of more than 80 percent of the hospital services and operation.

In addition, to tell you the truth we are so special and important medical workers just like the doctors, nurses, Health Extension Officers (HEOs), Community Health Workers (CHWs) etc in the medical and health science field. Without my team or colleagues (working in a field of diagnostic services in the country day and night as a frontline team to fight against COVID-19 or Sars-Cov-2 and other diseases), there would NOT be a Diagnostic Testing (DT) of Sars-Cov-2 or other diseases, sicknesses and infections in the country currently. We are the Front line Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) who have experienced sleepless night processing and testing COVID-19 specimens and samples in the night and day in IMR, CPHL, PMGH Pathology and all Pathology Laboratories (PL) throughout the country.
Medical Scientists play a vital role in KRA 6 and KRA 8 of the National Health Plan 2011 – 2025. KRA 6 talks about providing quality diagnostics testing services to disease of public health significant to PNG including HIV, TB and Malaria. KRA 8 talks about quality diagnosis in emerging infectious diseases such as SARS, MERS, ASF, Polio, Rubella, Ebola and COVID-19. These scientists have worked tirelessly throughout PNG with the call to curb the COVID-19 pandemic from sample collection from symptomatic patients, IATA standard storage, packaging, transportation, sample processing and testing, and training of health care workers. The effort put in by the Local Medical Scientists has received recognition from global partners that PNG can stand and be counted in the field of Medical Science.

Without PNGMLS, there will NEVER or NOT be a:
COVID-19 processing and testing, (2) HIV AIDS processing and testing, (3) TB diagnostics service, (4) Malaria diagnostic service, (5) Dengue testing, (6) Polio testing, (7) All micro pathogenic organism bacteria and virus diagnostics and testing, (8) Diagnostic testing and scanning for cancer or tumour in human body, (9) Micro Pathogenic organisms like Fungi testing, (10) Blood bank and Crossmatch diagnostics services, (11) human body scanning, testing and diagnostics services, and all sorts of diagnostic testing and (12) Epidemiological and Scientific Research to move the country forward in Health. The diagnostic process is a complex, collaborative activity that involves clinical reasoning and information gathering to determine a patient's health problem.

Furthermore, why I said PNGMLS are the backbone in medical scientific and clinical field and health science field? It is because we are the one that actually find the aetiology or the causes of the infection or diseases in patients, and not all doctors or nurses doses that. Upon our results and reports, they treat and manage patients. We do our part and doctors or nurses do their part to investigate the aetiology of the patients and for management. Without us, nurses and doctors may cease to work and they can be totally in chaos and in darkness in their triage for patients’ management. They will always and will forever need our help for patients care. We all work hand in hand as a health team to treat and manage our clients - in our setting is patients care. Pathology services lie at the heart of the health care services provided to patients. They are essential to the delivery of many of the national priorities and targets for the PNG NDoH and WHO. It is estimated that 70-80 per cent of all health care decisions affecting diagnosis or treatment involve a pathology investigation, with individuals’ treatment decisions – and the monitoring of their response to treatment – often dependent on a range of pathology-based tests and investigations.

The DPM and IRE have rejected our awards for several times since 2014. They consider us as not important in the health force in the country. They are very IGNORANT to what we do in our setting for patients care and management. They actually think we are simple group of laboratory technicians which they are totally wrong. NDoH and Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs) knows our profession very well. We are medical scientist who think critical and innovative to move this country forward.
PNG Government - DPM and with IRE have been awarding nurses and doctors awards every 3 years all throughout for four decades since independence after their medical union establishment in the country and my team has been considered less important (in the way that PNGMSA members personally see because of not considering and approving their awards), and was not awarded for sometimes and it’s almost 9 years since 2011. The PNGMSA Executives have been so quite all these time and we have not petition the DPM (government), and haven't gone out for strike. Since independence and in the new era of medical exposition and establishment of medical allied and unionism in the country; PNGMSA has been observing medical doctors (medical clinical officers) and nurses and other employees of government sectors going out for strike frequently every 3 years regarding their awards (log of claims) as they are equally important and special in the medical and nursing field, and alternative field respectively. PNGMSA has been so silent and quite, but have submitted our awards - log of claims since 2013 from office to office and door to door, but it was rejected several times by DPM and IRE. Our award 2014-2016, was pending for approval after submission (but rejected in 2020 July again), MOU 2017-2019 was not yet submitted as 2014-2016 was not approved 8 years ago, and 2020-2022 which was not submitted because 2014 - 2016 was submitted several times and pending to be approved but rejected over and over that has led PNGMSAs submission of MOU 2014-2016 way behind apart from PNGNDA and PNGNA. Today is 2020 August and PNGMSA award 2014-2016 is way back. My executive of PNGMSA should have already plan and outline our new draft of MOU 2017-2019 and MOU 2020-2022, but because of many rejection and not approval of our awards MOU 2014-2016, all our new MOU/MOA wasn't submitted yet.

Since last year (2019 October), PNGMSA president and his executives re-submitted our members log of claims - MOU 2014 – 2016 but was rejected this year- 2020 July by DPM because of Special General Order No. 11 (SGO 11) which was release by your government on the same month (October 2019). Although, I see nurses awards have been considered and approved against SGO No. 11. This is totally BIAS. Why did they side-lined and rejected PNGMSA’s awards with its log of claims and accepted PNG Nurse’s award?
Our Log of Claims (MOU 2014-2016) submitted on October 2019 are: (1) Consolidated On-Call and Overtime (OT) Allowance, (2) Book and Equipment Allowances, (3) Uniform Allowances and (4) Housing Allowances. All these were REJECTED. Atlases, they should have awarded us very important and vital needs like Housing Allowances and consolidated On-Call and Overtime allowances. Doctors have nest to lie and put down their head to rest but NOT us. Doctors have their housing awards paid and configured into their base salary and us- NONE. However, we do the same job and graduated from the same college as they are, but the Government is totally unfair and bias, and has rejected, forgot and ignored us since independence. Pathology provides continuous services - 24 hours for 7 days (Sunday to Sunday) every year and we claims our overtime oncall through hospital base human resource department. It normally take more than 5 to 7 months for our oncall and OT allowances to be paid to us while doctors OT and Oncall are consolidated mean they receive every fortnightly bases as addition to their base salary. The process of getting this payment is a very tedious one and the administrative delays vary from waiting 1-7 months per year even though service has been provided to the citizen of PNG. To avoid this administrative blunder PNGMSA resolve to have consolidated overtime for its members, a genuine claim that is supported by the NDoH and PHAs. This claim will not incure any cost to the state but will justify the service provided by the PNG Medical Laboratory Technical and Personnel Association (MLTPA) members or PNGMSA members 24/7 yearly. Clause 8 of the MOU 2011-2013 stipulate consolidation of our OT claims and arrangement to be introduced with effect from January 2012. Therefore, we submitted our consolidated on-call and OT claim to DPM under our MOU to configure into the payroll system so that we can be paid fortnightly, but DPM has rejected it again.

Government have given 1st priority to the doctors and has awarded them with all kind of awards like housing, uniform, book & equipment, consolidated OT oncall, and risk or insurance allowances. That is why they are highly paid than rest of us. They may be paid more than K4000 to K5000 or may be more than K7000 a fortnight depending on their position. However, MLTPAs or PNGMSA Members are paid very less just like the nurse or CHWs. For e.g., grade 10 position of a PNGMLTPAs/ PNGMSA member is paid K1300 gross salary compared to a doctor or medical officer who is paid K4000 to K5000 that is totally unfair.

Finally, PNGMLTPA/ PNGMSA president has responded to DPM to urgently reconsider and approve our MOU 2014-2016 (letter attached). The letter stated that - failure to do so will result in pulling out of service in COVID-19, polio, measles, dengue, HIV, TB, Blood transfusion services, biochemistry, haematology, histopathology, medical microbiology, malaria, chikungunya, environment, PNG water & food microbiology, and boarder disease surveillance – that’s mean a TOTAL SHUT DOWN IN ALL MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

Please, find attached are the letters: (a) DPMs response to our award – 22/06/20, (b) PNGMSA president’s response to DPM, and (c) Nurses awards approved and not PNGMSAs award.

Therefore, my point or intention to write to you is: Please I humbly and kindly ask you my most humble and bravest Prime Minister Right Honourable James Marape to PLEASE, COULD YOU KINDLY INFORM OR WRITE A LETTER OF AUTHORISATION OR SUPPORT LETTER TO DPM & IRE TO RECHECK, APPROVE AND ACCEPT OUR LOG OF CLAIMS UNDER OUR MOU 2014-2016 AND AWARD US?
Thank you

RABBIE NAZEL BERO - PNGMSA REP
HIGHLAND REGION
WESTERN HIGHLAND PROVINCIAL HEALTH AUTHORITY,
MT HAGEN, WHP-PNG
Digicel#: 79910527; Bmobile #: 76597909/ Tel#: 5411200
Email: rabbie.bero@whhs.gov.pg
Gmail: prumixtox@gmail.com

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Below is the letter that I have written 7 days ago to my PNGMSA President and Executives to take this action seriously because of so many attempts and rejection by DPM of our (PNGMSA) awards.

To PNGMSA President and Executives:

Attention: Christopher Aquame

RE: PETITION THE DPM AND GOVERNMENT THROUGH WARNING LETTER TO RALLY MASS 

       STRIKE BY PNGMSA UNION.

Dear President and Executives of PNGMSA, see attachment - Nursing awards responded by DPM and Considered. Outcome of their calling was positive and fruitful.  This is total Bias! They side-lined and rejected our awards in line with the SGO 11, but the Nurses - NO. What about us? WHY ARE WE KEEPING SO SILENT? CAN WE MAKE SOME NOISE AT THIS RIGHT TIME?

We should raise our concern regarding our delayed awards 2014 to 2016, 2017 to 2019 – pending, as well as 2020 to 2022 forthcoming. We are keeping our self so silent for decades.If other health forces can do it then, why are we even not fighting for our awards?

They should have at least approve our important awards like the Consolidated OT and Housing. Regarding Consolidated OT and oncall, it would have been same as our normal OT claims where it wasn't something to do with the SGO. No. 11. We are already paid for, so they should have just accepted that part of our award and configured it into the system, but they didn't. Instead they rejected all our claims- I am repeating all our claims were rejected. Housing is so vital and need to our lives but they also rejected. We need a home to stay, live and work. We are equally important like medical officers or doctors. We need housing allowances to be paid every fortnightly to our base salary so that we may rent live and come to work.

If DPM with its Executives and government cannot appreciate the work we do and if they can continuously reject all our awards – then we should submit a warning ⚠ petition of strike and shut down letter to NDOH and DPM. In the petition, we should warn them that if they cannot award us- then we should shut all pathology services including COVID – 19 testing sites throughout the country just like what the Nurses have did. At least, make some noises so that DPM and Government can know about our profession and who we are.

If we cannot do any of this then we can wait for 2021 for re-submission when the SGO No.11 end  in December 31st 2021. We will wait till 2022 and it’s such a long time, and remember we are way behind (2014 - 2016). We should be talking about signing new MOU 2017-2019 and 2020 - 2022. Because of all their continuous rejection and delays, our log of claims (awards) have been in pending list and rejected and now we are living in 2020 August. We can't wait for 2022. Now is the TIME TO MAKE NOISE AND SHUT DOWN ALL PATHOLOGY DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES AND COVID-19 TESTING SITES THROUGH OUT THE COUNTRY AND GO OUT FOR STRIKE.  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! 

Thank you. 

 

RABBIE NAZEL BERO--PNGMSA Highland REGIONAL REP

SENIOR MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTIST

MT HAGEN HOSPITAL,

WESTERN HIGHLAND PROVINCIAL HEALTH AUTHORITY.

P. O. BOX 36

MT HAGEN, WHP - PNG. 

Phone#: 79910527 /76597909

Tel#: 541120