The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
THE National Social Security Authority (NSSA) has reviewed upwards allowances for its doctors, as it seeks to retain critical skills.
The allowances will be backdated to January 1 this year.
In a statement yesterday, NSSA’s acting general manager Dr Charles Shava said it has been difficult to keep medical staff due to uncompetitive remuneration and allowances.
“The increases will help curb the perennial loss of medical staff to other local employers who pay occupational health doctors more money.
“NSSA doctors are qualified in occupational health and they are, therefore, in high demand across industries, especially the mining sector,” he said.
As part of its mandate, NSSA is obliged to ensure occupational health and safety in workplaces across the country.
In addition to treating injured workers across various industries, its doctors also adjudicate on all medical matters under NSSA’s schemes.
They also determine the level of injuries and applicable compensation for all injured workers.
Currently, the authority administers two schemes — the Pensions and Other Benefits Scheme, and the Accident Prevention and Workers Compensation Scheme. “There are specialised trainings that NSSA invests in its doctors, and, therefore, we cannot afford to train and lose them easily,” added Dr Shava.
NSSA also intends to review conditions of service for all its critical staff, including engineers, lawyers, accountants, actuaries, investment specialists, social security specialists and occupational health staff.
