Hundreds of nursing jobs will remain unfilled if nurses are not paid fairly, resulting in a decline in patient care, that is the true picture of the current health system in Samoa.

Samoa is losing nurses to other countries, other employment sectors which pay better and to seasonal work.

It is good to hear that phase 2 of a review of a new pay structure for health workers including dentists and nurses with the Ministry of Health is still underway according to the Health Director General.

Aiono Dr. Alec Ekeroma told the Samoa Observer in an exclusive interview last Friday that the Public Service Commission (P.S.C.) is yet to finalise the review and is still doing interviews with the ministry's staff.

He confirmed that there will be more interviews done with their staff members next week and this will include the reviewing of the base salary for dentists working in the ministry.

"That needs to be reviewed because we have some dentists who have been working within the service for over 10 years now but are only getting SAT$34,000 a year," Aiono said. "We have new doctors who have just joined the service getting the same amount and I think it's not right.

"The doctors have now settled but we are now looking at reviewing the salaries for our dentists and our other health workers including nurses. Furthermore, it will also include reviewing the management structures."

The dental service is a very important part of the health system and the dentists are being given unfair pay as well. Dentists who have decided to stay and serve Samoa despite getting low salaries need to be appreciated as they are doing work out of their commitment for the people of Samoa.

It is good to note that the review should be over soon and the implementation of the new salaries should happen soon after. The wait has been too long for dentists and nurses.

As the backbone of any healthcare system in the world, nurses deserve proper compensation for the hard work they put in in improving the health of Samoans. After all, nurses are the proverbial Alpha and Omega.

As it is, the health system needs to hire more than 500 nurses just to make the shortfall and nurses are leaving because of pay. Nurses are doing extra work because of this shortfall.

When COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, people were advised to stay at home to prevent the spread of the life-threatening virus. That is, everyone except for essential workers, such as health care workers, protective service workers and grocery store workers.

The role of a nurse is to be at the patient’s bedside upon admission to the hospital even after the patient leaves. Nurses often perform a medical background history and physical exams, monitor changes to the patient’s body, administer medications and treatments and collaborate with a team for proper care.

They even provide care for the family of the patient with counseling, support and education.

Health care workers, specifically nurses, reported being “overworked” and “exhausted” during the pandemic. However, despite all their hard work, the current salary nurses get doesn’t reflect all the work they put in to save people’s lives.

Nurses make up an integral part of the health care team. Without an adequate amount of nurses, many other members of the medical staff would not be able to do their job. While doctors diagnose and prescribe, nurses carry out the orders of health care providers such as identify the complications of the disease or injury, administer medications, change wound dressings and care for the overall well-being of the patient. Doctors would not be able to treat their patients around the clock, surgeries wouldn’t take place and hidden complications may be overlooked in patients resulting in often fatal results.

Increasing wages will have more benefits to nursing beyond improving their financial situations. It will make nurses feel more valued for their role as part of the health care team as well as in patient and family lives.

In conclusion, fair pay for nurses is essential for a good healthcare system. This helps to attract and retain quality nurses, improve working conditions, reduce burnout and turnover, improve patient outcomes and have a positive impact on the economy and social wellbeing.