Shafaq News / The Director General of Health in al-Sulaymaniyah, Sabah Horami, warned today, Thursday, concerning the potential boycott of doctors and healthcare workers as a result of prolonged delays in salary disbursements.

Horami expressed deep concern, stating, "The protracted delay in salary payments has given rise to a grave predicament, subjecting our healthcare system to immense strain. Doctors and hospital staff may resort to a boycott of their duties, a move that could have severe ramifications, particularly in light of the ongoing cholera outbreak in the governorate ."

He called upon the Minister of Health and the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Cabinet to "prioritize the disbursement of salaries within the healthcare sector." In the event of any alterations to the salary schedule, he implored for "parallel processing of salary payments for multiple hospitals and healthcare institutions, aligning with disbursements made to other ministries."

He stressed the paramount need to ensure that salaries within the health sector are paid promptly, ideally within the span of one week to a maximum of ten days.

Regarding the exigencies of addressing the cholera outbreak, Horami conveyed appreciation for the KRG’s Health Minister commitment to supply certain essential materials. He acknowledged the unforeseen nature of the cholera outbreak and its unique requirements, asserting that their assessment of the regional government's financial situation had informed a measured approach, avoiding an exhaustive request for resources while leveraging existing reserves to combat the outbreak. "Nevertheless, the situation has now reached a point where the health sector necessitates an emergency budget allocation, provided the regional government is in a position to furnish it."

This unfolding scenario coincides with the announcement by KRG’s Health Minister Saman Barzanji, today, Thursday, confirming a total of 117 cholera cases in the Region, with an anticipated uptick in infections.

In light of the ongoing political deadlock between Baghdad and Erbil concerning the allocation of budgetary funds, public institutions in KRI have experienced recurring challenges in disbursing employee salaries.