Nurses get a deal and return to work

After two days of negotiations, the leaders of the Panama nurses’ union  (ANEP) and the authorities of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) and the Social Security Fund (CSS) reached an agreement at 1 am on Friday and the work stoppage was lifted.

 Some1,376 nurses who are working under contract will be inserted into a permanence list in a staggered manner.

The Minsa reported that the agreement establishes a transfer table for personnel under contract due to the pandemic to the permanence payroll in a staggered manner and that it would take effect in 2021 with the permanent appointment of 150 to 200 nurses.

The following year they will be from 275 to 550 nurses, while in 2023 from 275 to 550 and then in 2024: from 275 to 550 nurses.

“We have seen today the progressive gradualness, from this year at least until 2024, 2025 with those that remain pending, in such a way that we assure these girls that they have been serving the country, the Ministry of Health, and the Social Security Fund during the pandemic”, said the Minister of Health Luis Francisco Sucre.

Regarding the recognition of the salary scale of the professional level with specialization, masters, and doctorates, Sucre said that payments will begin in a way of bonus until the commissions that have been instituted organize and coordinate to present the report to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) so that next year they can collect it as part of the salary.

The nurses’ union began the week with protests at health facilities to demand compliance with their demands, then they decreed a 24-hour work stoppage, which was extended for an additional 48 hours.