Speech and language therapists have urged the Health Ministry to conduct the Efficiency barrier examination soon, since their salary increments, which depended on the results of the exam, have been delayed. The exam for the first batch of speech and language therapists, who joined government hospitals in the year 2000, was gazetted in 2003.

The delay has now affected all batches that joined after 2000.

SLT’s are mainly attached to teaching hospitals, the Cancer Hospital and Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children. They assist children and adults (mainly those after a stroke) who have speech, language and communication problems.  At present there are only around thirty to forty SLTs in the country, they said. The job category receives a great deal of importance in western countries, however.  

The first batch had been recommended a fair salary by the then ministerial officials. However, following the retirement of those officials the Health Ministry informed them that salaries recommended earlier had been an error and introduced a new salary structure.

"However we did not give up hope and kept on appealing to the Health Ministry to conduct the exam. We even sent written appeals through our hospital directors", a spokesman said.  

They had only received increments that had been given through salary commissions appointed in the past. The salary increments would entitle them to a pension, and other monetary gains.  But under the present circumstances they will not receive any of the benefits which increment holders are entitled to.