Gbarnga, Bong County – As the protest continues, the President of the National Physician Assistant Association of Liberia, Theophilus Fayiah, has condemned the arrest of three health workers linked to the ongoing protest at Phebe Hospital, describing the allegations against them as an attempt to intimidate workers demanding better working conditions.
Speaking to reporters on the grounds of the Gbarnga Magisterial Court, where the detained workers were being held, Fayiah rejected claims that the protesters threatened to burn down the hospital if the government failed to address their grievances.
He maintained that the workers’ only intention was to suspend their services peacefully until their concerns were addressed, insisting they neither carried weapons nor planned to endanger lives.
“We are not threatening anyone. We simply said we would stop offering our services because our concerns have not been addressed,” Fayiah said, adding that the protest had remained peaceful and that workers deliberately stayed away from the hospital premises to avoid confrontations.
Fayiah argued that health workers have endured years of poor salaries, inadequate benefits, and unfavorable working conditions, describing the hospital as a “traumatic zone” for many employees. He alleged that authorities were attempting to portray the protesters as troublemakers instead of addressing the underlying issues.
The association president further accused police of coercing the detained workers into making statements without legal representation, questioning the evidence behind allegations that they intended to burn the hospital.
“There is no crime. If anyone claims they threatened to burn the hospital, let them produce the evidence,” he said.
Calling for the immediate release of the three detained workers, Fayiah urged the government to pursue dialogue rather than intimidation in resolving the dispute.
He also announced that the association had called on healthcare workers at C.B. Dunbar Hospital to suspend work in solidarity with their colleagues at Phebe Hospital, saying, “An injury to one is an injury to all.”
Responding to questions about salaries, Fayiah said compensation for healthcare workers across Liberia remains inconsistent. According to him, some physician assistants earn as little as US$95 per month, others receive US$250 or US$400, while some volunteers have reportedly worked for more than 15 years without being placed on the government payroll.
Although salary concerns are significant, Fayiah stressed that the protest extends beyond wages, citing poor management, strained labor relations, and what he described as a lack of respect for healthcare workers.
The protesting workers are demanding the immediate dismissal of the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Minnie Sankawulo-Ricks, as well as the Human Resource Manager and his assistant, accusing the administration of poor labor practices and creating an unhealthy working environment.
