Nurses say the biggest impact of not getting overtime pay is on their families, as they have had to make adjustments and sacrifices to ensure the necessities are not compromised.

The Ministry of Health announced that from August 28, all overtime pay for medical staff will be halted as a result of budget constraints. Acting Director General of Health Tagaloa Dr Robert Thomsen said this was a delay and not a cancellation.

Some of the nurses currently working at district hospitals and the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital in Motootua were able to share the impact of not getting overtime paid as usual.

A registered nurse, Jasmine, said not getting overtime pay has had a huge impact on her and her family's financial needs.

"My overtime pay is something that assists in financial needs, apart from my normal salary every two weeks," she said.

"Of course, I am trying to cope in terms of spending wisely."

One nurse, Elijah, said even though he has no kids to raise but the pinch of not getting paid overtime has a huge impact on looking after his parents and younger siblings.

"I now have to spend smart, sacrifice other wants, but to prioritise needs for my parents and family," he said.

"I have been working double shifts most of this week and long hours; I hope these will be paid." 

Elijah said his passion to help the patients at Moto'otua Hospital kept him going, even though the hassle of working long hours without getting paid, but he managed to get by.

Tala echoed the same sentiments. She said she knows that this will happen because of the interim budget.

She said she now sacrifices some of the wants for her children but prioritises only the necessities for her family.

Being the breadwinner, she has to make the right choices in spending her salary, coping with not getting paid overtime.

"I still serve the patients with my whole heart because it's what I swore to do, hoping all the overtime will be paid once a new government is formed."

Acting Director-General of Health, Tagaloa Dr Robert Thomsen, has assured Samoa’s medical frontliners that all overtime owed will be paid once the 2025/2026 national budget is passed. He said it was a delay and not a cancellation.

Speaking at a press conference with the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) in early August, Tagaloa said the Ministry of Health (MOH) had already explained the situation to its workforce. The reassurance follows confirmation earlier this week that overtime payments will be temporarily halted from the 28 August pay cycle due to severe financial constraints.

“Our priority is ensuring that regular salaries are paid for the three to four months, or about seven pay periods, covered by the interim budget. Overtime is considered an additional payment,” Tagaloa told reporters. “Once the 2025/2026 budget is passed, all overtime owed will be processed and backpaid.”