NASSAU, Bahamas — As scores of public healthcare workers on New Providence and Grand Bahama called in sick for a fifth day over the disbursements of honorariums, Minister of Health Renward Wells said yesterday that his driver and personal assistant, who were each awarded an honorarium of $1,158.40, returned the money to the government after he asked them to.
The Nassau Guardian reported on Tuesday, August 17, that Wells said he also intends to provide to Cabinet for review the list of names of employees who were nominated to receive an honorarium, as well as those who have yet to.
The government committed to pay honorariums to healthcare workers who worked during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a prerecorded video message released last night, Wells said that on August 4, 1,732 employees in the Ministry of Health started to receive their honorariums.
“Shortly after the payouts were made, reports began circulating on social media that I had received an honorarium of $10,000 and that my driver and personal assistant received honorarium payments of $5,000 each,” he said.
“Firstly, I advise the general public that I did not receive an honorarium payment.”
He added, “Further, my driver and personal assistant did not receive an honorarium of $5,000 issued to the frontline doctors as purported by social media reports.
“In fact, they received the same minimum honorarium payment of $1,158.40 issued to non-frontline workers.
“However, today, I have asked both my driver and personal assistant to return the $1,158.40 that was disbursed to them from The Bahamas government.
“They have agreed and returned that amount disbursed to them.” See complete story in The Guardian at https://thenassauguardian.com/driver-assistant-return-honorarium/
