The Tribune

THE Ministry of Health has denied social media allegations that Health Minister Renward Wells received an honorarium payment of $10,000 for the COVID-19 response.

The honorarium payments were promised to frontline healthcare workers who were the early heroes in the COVID-19 fight during the period of March 19 to June 19, 2020, the ministry said.

“The Ministry of Health would like to advise that the minister of health did not receive any of the funds allocated for the honorarium put aside for frontline and non-frontline workers.

“Social media reports also purport that the minister of health’s driver and personal assistant received $5,000 each for their contributions to the COVID-19 response. The Ministry of Health categorically denies this assertion as these employees were disbursed the same minimum honorarium payment issued to non-frontline workers who consisted of doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, administrative, clerical, transport, security, custodial and other support staff who joined later in the response. The amount awarded to these persons was $1,158.40.”

The statement said the government also promised to issue death benefits to four frontline healthcare workers who died during the COVID-19 national response for the period between March 19 to June 18, 2020. Death benefit packages will be disbursed to two families on Monday. Disbursements for the other two families will be delayed as legal requirements for those families have not yet been satisfied.

“Healthcare professionals and support staff have spent long hours caring for patients with or without COVID-19 and have given valuable advice to the government during this unprecedented time in our country’s history,” the ministry added.

“The honorarium is just a token of the government’s appreciation for those sacrifices that have already been made.”