Nurses at Gobabis State Hospital say months-long delays in overtime payments have left staff frustrated and financially strained, with some claiming they have not been paid for overtime work since January.
These complaints come as the Ministry of Health and Social Services acknowledges outstanding overtime claims from the 2025/26 financial year, but says the payments are awaiting the treasury’s approval.
Several nurses who spoke to The Namibian on condition of anonymity last week said repeated enquiries about the delayed payments have yielded few answers.
One nurse said workers are often forced to take on additional shifts because of staffing shortages and the absence of colleagues attending workshops and other official duties.
“We have to call them to ask, and it’s always excuse after excuse,” she said.
She claimed that delays in processing overtime claims have become a recurring problem, leaving workers uncertain about when they would receive money they have already earned.
The nurse said staff members have not been given clear information on the status of their claims.
“This is honestly so demoralising, and it affects my work heavily because I do not give it my all any more,” she said.
The employee challenged the ministry to provide proof that staff claims are being processed.
“If they say things are approved, they must give us something,” the nurse said.
She said delayed overtime payments have serious consequences for workers who depend on the additional income to meet their financial obligations.
“They don’t know how important that payment is to an individual,” the nurse said.
She said some staff members have not received overtime payments since April.
Others have reportedly been waiting even longer.
The nurse claimed some colleagues have not been paid for overtime worked since February, while workers stationed at clinics outside Gobabis have allegedly gone for more than three months without receiving compensation for extra hours worked.
Staff members say overtime work has become necessary to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services, particularly when facilities operate with limited staff.
While the workers say the delays are affecting the morale among staff, they also fear that continued non-payment could discourage employees from volunteering for additional shifts in the future.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services, however, says it has not received a report of pending overtime payments for the 2026/27 financial year through the Omaheke regional health directorate.
Ministry spokesperson Walters Kamaya says the outstanding claims relate to overtime hours worked during the 2025/26 financial year.
“The ministry, through the office of the Omaheke regional health directorate, has not yet received a report of pending overtime payments for staff members for this financial year, 2026/27,” he says.
Kamaya says claims submitted after the close of the previous financial year require the treasury’s approval before payments can be made.
“However, there are outstanding payments for overtime in the 2025/26 financial year that were submitted after the closing of the 2025/26 financial year, which require treasury approval before payments are made,” he says.
For nurses on the ground, however, this explanation offers little comfort.
They say what they need most is clarity on when the money would be paid, and the assurance that the claims are progressing in the approval process.
