“Your salaries, welfare, work conditions will only improve under PPP/C” – Pres Ali to healthcare professionals

…more than 46 % in salary increases recorded over past 4 years

…over $612M expended on one-off bonus payments

Healthcare professionals in Guyana can look forward to continuous improvements in salaries, benefits, and working conditions under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration. This was the assurance given by President Dr Irfaan Ali during his keynote address at the commissioning of the $6.6 billion Diamond Regional Hospital on Sunday.
President Ali emphasised that the PPP/C Government is committed to delivering on its promises to the health sector, highlighting that Guyana remains one of the few countries where nursing students receive near-full stipends during training and are guaranteed employment upon graduation. He also noted that consistent salary increases have made local healthcare jobs increasingly attractive—even to overseas-based Guyanese nurses who are now considering returning home.
“And it is only going to get better. Salaries, your welfare, your work condition, your benefits is only going to get better under the People’s Progressive Party Civic Government. You will recall the promises and commitment we made in 2020,” he declared.

Since 2020, the Government has awarded cumulative salary increases exceeding 46 per cent for healthcare workers, separate from one-off bonuses totaling $612 million that benefited over 9,200 frontline workers. Other welfare measures include the distribution of vouchers, salary adjustments for nurses, and a host of structural improvements to the country’s health infrastructure.
“The special vouchers we give to our frontline workers, the adjustment in the salaries for our nurses. These things seem a long time ago, but it’s only a few years ago that we made these important adjustments for the medical professionals of our country”.
“What we have accomplished in four and a half years with less than a million people is unbelievable. It’s unbelievable, the pace of change, the pace of transformation. And I want to tell you, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Because after September, we are refueling. We are refueling the engine, coming back with turbo on, jet engine, pushing forward the people’s work, the people’s development, the people’s improvement,” he assured.
Back in 2022, President Ali had announced a raft of new salary increases for medical workers, with some increases ranging from 36.4 per cent to as much as 74.7 per cent.
Notable increases include those of medical officers who had their current minimum salary increased from $219,878 to $300,000, while specialist doctors, such as gynaecologists and endocrinologists had their minimum salaries increased from $276,536 to $450,000. This represents an additional 62.7 per cent increase on the current minimum salary. On the other hand, medical interns will now have their current minimum salary increased from $151,374 to $200,000, representing a 32.1 per cent increase.
Further, nurse aides and patient care assistants had their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $80,892 to $100,000, nursing assistants had their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $88,525 to $115,000, while midwives had their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $96,974 to $169,438 and Dental aides and laboratory aides had their current minimum salary adjusted upwards, from $80,892 to $100,000.
However, these figures have since doubled following the announcement of yearly salary adjustments by Government for public servants, which included a 10 per cent salary increase for 2024 and eight per cent increase for 2025.