– some patients sent home
By Cathy Wilson
Nurses at the Linden Hospital Complex and the Upper Demerara Hospital yesterday continued their protest action following the rape of one of their colleagues at the Wismar health facility.
The industrial action started on Thursday after a 25-year-old registered nurse was raped while on the night shift at the Upper Demerara Hospital and her colleague made to look on.
Speaking with this newspaper, several nurses said this was a unique opportunity for them to stand firm in ensuring that the administration takes the security of nurses seriously.
One related that recently a nurse had accompanied a patient on transfer to the Georgetown Public Hospital during a night shift and the ambulance, which was transporting them, broke down on the East Bank Demerara. “Public-spirited residents in the area paid a taxi to take the nurse and the patient to the Georgetown Hospital,” the nurse said. “It was after 11 pm when the nurse was ready to return to Linden. She called a senior staff and informed her that she needed transportation to get back to Linden. She was told to go to the bus park and get a bus and the hospital would have refunded her the next day.”
This was seen as an uncaring action, given that there is no transportation at that time of night heading for Linden. The nurse’s husband who is the owner and driver of a car had to go and get his wife.
They further said that they are usually given a $400 voucher in case of any emergency when travelling to Georgetown with patients. The Linden fare is $900 one-way.
Additionally, the nurses complained that when they are on the night shift, they are not taken to their homes. The hospital bus puts them off at specific points and is restricted from going into some areas.
Chief Executive Officer of the Linden Hospital Complex Gordon Gumbs confirmed that the industrial action was continuing. He said that at the time the administration was working on getting other nurses to assist in running the central units of the hospital including the emergency, outpatient, operating theatre and the maternity sections. The limited number of supervisors was filling the gaps.
Gumbs said that in order to ease the load of in-patient care, doctors yesterday discharged as many patients as possible. He said that throughout the day management has been involved in meetings discussing issues and negotiating the resumption of work by the nurses. He noted that several agreements have been reached and can be implemented immediately, but he did not want to pronounce on these since negotiations were still in progress.
This newspaper could not confirm if there was any outpatient care at the Upper Demerara Hospital yesterday.
Meanwhile, following a meeting held on Thursday, Gumbs said, the hospital administration had committed to the following with regard to the nurses who were attacked:
– Professional counselling, testing and prophylactic treatment would be provided to the nurses.
– Both nurses were sent on special leave for a period of three months.
– After the three months, arrangements would be made for transfers for both nurses to another institution in or out of Linden if they so desired.
– If either nurse develops any medical complications resulting from the incident the cost for treatment and care would be provided, whether financial or otherwise
– Should the nurses choose to continue working at the Linden Hospital they would be placed strictly on the day shift.
Gumbs said there were some other issues relevant to the affected nurses that are still being discussed.
The E&F Division police yesterday scotched rumours that they had held someone in connection with the incident stating that no such arrest has been made as yet but that they were working on some clues.
The father of one of the affected nurses said his daughter was going through a recovery process with the prayers of friends, relatives and kindhearted citizens.