The delay in the proposed merger of the Samoa Ministry of Health and the National Health Services looks to be driving the services apart rather than
bringing them together.
On Thursday, at his press conference, Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi played down signs that the proposed merger is in jeopardy.
He blamed past management of the Samoa Health Services for not implementing a Cabinet decision to give doctors a pay increase back in 2013.
But the previous day, his Minister of Health Tuitama Dr Talalelei Tuitama told the Samoa Observer that there was a conspiracy by the current NHS
management to sabotage the process.
He accused the present management of spreading false information that salaries will be slashed once they come under the Public Service Commission.
The current General Manager of Samoa National Health Services, PalanitinaTupuimatagi Toelupe, was Director General of Health when NHS was
established to be a public enterprise in 2006.
It is independent of the Ministry of Health which is under the Public Service Commission.
According to the Minister, financial issues last month caused the delay.
He said then that it would cost approximately $US4million to make the merger a reality. About 50% of this fund would go to meeting back pay for doctors.
Tuilaepa said earlier this week that the "buck" stopped with him in this and other dispute within government departments.
"No wonder we have to send patients to be treated overseas, if they can't solve this simple then I don't know what our doctors are doing," he said.
The Minister assured that the merger process is on target despite the alleged sabotage attempts.
It is due to be implemented July 2018.
