…as health workers down tools over unpaid March salaries
Mohloai Mpesi / Hopolang Mokhopi
HEALTH services at state facilities across the country have been brought to a standstill by health workers who have downed tools over unpaid March 2026 salaries.
A visit by the Lesotho Times to Maseru District Hospital yesterday found patients being turned away, with hospital staff reportedly only attending to critical and emergency cases until their salaries are paid.
The Ministry of Health said it was awaiting a financial bailout from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, claiming it exhausted its budget after hiring hundreds of staff in the previous financial year without provision for their wages.
The ministry has therefore appealed to health workers to return to duty while efforts are underway to resolve the crisis.
In a statement issued yesterday, the ministry acknowledged the delay in salary payments, attributing it to insufficient funds.
“The Ministry of Health hereby informs the nation that there has been a delay in the payment of its staff for March due to insufficient funds. The ministry has taken steps to resolve the matter and ensure that salaries are paid before the end of this week.
“The ministry takes full responsibility and apologises to the workers. Management assures that such an incident will not happen again.
“We therefore appeal to the ministry’s workers to continue with their duties while we work on resolving the salary issue,” the statement read.
However, health workers have rejected the appeal, maintaining that they will only resume normal services once their salaries have been paid.
During a joint sitting of Parliamentary Portfolio Committees earlier last month, the Ministry of Health Principal Secretary, Moliehi ‘Maneo Ntene, revealed that 394 positions had been filled despite not being budgeted for—most of them at Maseru District Hospital—resulting in a salary deficit of approximately M52 million.
The ministry subsequently secured a virement of M35,922,602 from its operations budget to partially cover salaries, although this reallocation was still awaiting approval from the Minister of Finance and Development Planning.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Ms Ntene told the Lesotho Times that the ministry was awaiting a bailout from the Ministry of Finance.
“We will not be able to overcome this problem alone because the money does not come from the Ministry of Health, but from the Ministry of Finance,” Ms Ntene said.
Asked whether March salaries had been included in the ministry’s fiscal budget, she said the Ministry of Health had already communicated its challenges regarding the delayed payments.
“We have raised these issues and communicated with the Ministry of Finance about the challenges we encountered concerning March salaries, but the funds have not yet been released.
“Money is supposed to be released now to pay civil servants because they have worked and continue to provide services. That is where we are at the moment. We are still engaging the Ministry of Finance to approve the requested funds,” she said.
Contacted for comment, Ministry of Finance spokesperson Keneuoe Mojaki declined to comment.
“I don’t know anything in relation to that issue,” Ms Mojaki said.
Efforts to reach the Ministry of Finance Principal Secretary, Nthoateng Lebona, were unsuccessful as her mobile phone rang unanswered.
Meanwhile the Maseru District Hospital (MDH) management has instructed staff to send patients home until they receive their salaries.
A WhatsApp message circulated among staff directed health professionals to refer patients to Christian Health Association of Lesotho (CHAL) facilities and/or Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH).
“Feedback from HOD: All government facilities are engaging in a tools-down. We shall attend to emergencies only. Please release all non-critical patients from the wards and cancel all elective procedures.
“Please advise patients to go to the nearest CHAL or QMMH facilities and their clinics until we are paid. From Med Sup and Management,” the message read.
Patients were left stranded at the MDH after doctors and nurses announced they would not be working fully until their salaries were paid.
Many patients said their lives were now at risk, particularly those dependent on daily medication. They expressed shock and disappointment, saying they never expected such a crisis at a hospital meant to save lives.
One patien at MDH, Pali Qhasime, told the Lesotho Times that he had travelled from Semonkong for his regular treatment. He suffers from stroke complications and high blood pressure.
He said patients were told to return home because staff were on a go-slow due to delayed March salaries. No indication was given as to when services would resume, despite it being his scheduled check-up day.
He added that he had already run out of medication but was not given any treatment.
“I don’t even know how I’m going to get home. I’m in a terrible situation. I arrived yesterday and slept at strangers’ homes. I don’t know when or how I’m going to get back,” he said.
He said being told to go home without treatment felt like being told to “go home and die”.
“I arrived at five o’clock, but after eight the doctor came out and told everyone to go home because nurses would not work until they were paid. My blood pressure is high. Who will help me now?” he asked.
Another patient, Mothibeli Mokoena from Leribe, said he had travelled to Maseru for an X-ray after doctors suspected he might have chest cancer, but he too was turned away.
“I am afraid for my life. I don’t know how long this protest will last. Why is this happening in public health? Why are the authorities failing to resolve salary issues so that we can receive treatment?”
Mr Mokoena said attempts to get information from security guards were unsuccessful, leaving him deeply frustrated.
Another patient, factory worker Mapuleng Moramotse, said she was also turned away and now risks facing problems at work because her employer requires proof that she had visited the hospital.
She said she sought assistance from authorities but was referred back and forth between departments.
“I am now waiting to hear whether I will be helped or not,” she said.
Maseru District Hospital spokesperson, Keketso Motanyane, confirmed that staff across the country were offering only essential services.
She said patients had been advised to return home or seek care at nearby facilities, with only emergency cases being attended to.
“I don’t know when the situation will end. We are still in meetings to assess it,” she said.
The Lesotho Nurses and Midwifery Organisation (LeNMO), together with the Lesotho Medical Association (LMA), have strongly condemned the delayed payment of health workers.
“The non-payment of salaries is severely affecting our members, and LeNMO strongly condemns this as a form of modern-day slavery by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
“This unfair labour practice not only affects our members but will also impact service delivery nationwide if salaries remain unpaid by the end of business tomorrow,” a LeNMO statement read.
In a separate statement, the LMA, through its Secretary General Dr Matheko Mohalenyane, also condemned the situation and warned of possible escalation.
“The association strongly condemns this unacceptable situation. It undermines the dignity, welfare, and professional commitment of medical professionals who continue to serve the nation under increasingly difficult circumstances. The LMA will not tolerate such treatment of its members.
“Following an Executive Committee meeting with the Director General on 31 March 2026, the LMA has resolved to give the Ministry of Health a strict 48-hour deadline to finalise and implement arrangements for payment.
“The public is hereby informed that failure to meet this deadline will leave the association with no option but to take further action to safeguard the interests of its members.
“Such actions may affect the delivery of healthcare services across the country. The LMA remains committed to constructive engagement but will not tolerate continued mistreatment of its members. We call on the relevant authorities to act urgently in the best interests of healthcare workers and the nation,” the statement read.
