Unvaccinated healthcare workers who fail to produce negative PCR tests and stay away from work will be marked absent and may have their salaries deducted.
This is according to Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, who said healthcare workers should seriously consider their actions when refusing the vaccines.
“The only way that you can protect yourself is really to get vaccinated. I do hope that good sense prevails and that they would go and get vaccinated and if they don’t get vaccinated then the option would be that you can present your PCR results and come to work.”
“If you don’t do any of these things, you would be marked absent and you would not be paid,” the Minister added.
The Minister said it is important for the healthcare workers to understand that they are putting themselves and patients at risk by refusing the vaccines.
“Because if they have a mild form of the infection, then unknowingly they can transmit that to patients. So, this is something that we have to consider in many other countries it is the policy of those countries to make sure that health care workers are protected by being vaccinated.”
Dr. Anthony said while healthcare workers have the right to protest, their refusal to take the vaccines and their absence from work could see some of the services at the various health institutions being affected. The Ministry will be closely examining all shifts and make the necessary decisions as time progresses.