Negotiations between the Linden Hospital Complex and the Guyana Public Service Union were at a deadlock yesterday, despite interventions by several officials.
Nurses at the Upper Demerara Hospital at Wismar and the Linden Hospital Complex resorted to industrial action on Thursday last, following the armed robbery of two nurses and rape of one of them while they were on night duty at the Wismar hospital on Wednesday. The nurses said they have long asked for security issues at the hospital to be addressed.
During a meeting with Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsarran, Regional Chair-man Mortimer Mingo, Regional Executive Officer Henry Rodney and other regional officials, union representative Maurice Butters said that nurses have lost faith in the administration, which has for past five years failed to address issues of concerns.
“Many times nurses, after resuming duty following a protest on the basis that the administration would have addressed their issues, were time and time again disappointed since all agreements went under the table after they returned to work,” Butters said.
To which the minister responded, “If they are not on duty how could they benefit from the interventions?”
Butters said there was no evidence of the bus, which the administration had promised to take nurses to their homes.
The minister rebutted that the hospital administration has acted in good faith. He said supervisors have been benefiting from the newly arranged transportation service, the presence of armed guards, and frequent police patrol by ranks of the police E & F Divisions.
The minister expressed concern that there was no skeleton staff arrangement in place putting undue pressure on the few supervisors employed at the institution. “Whenever there is an action like this it is always necessary to have a skeleton staff in place. It would be a sad thing if someone close to any of the nurses should reach in an accident or any emergency case. How would they like that?”
Nurses were agitated following an announcement on the NCN 6 o’clock news that the issues had been resolved and nurses had resumed duties. The minister said the report would be retracted.
The nurses vowed that they would continue their strike action until their demands are met.
Meanwhile, the Alliance for Change (AFC) condemned the attack, particularly the sexual assault and said it stands in solidarity with the nurses and supports all actions and initiatives taken and those which are to be taken.
AFC leader, Raphael Trotman, and General Secretary, Clayton Hall, held a meeting yesterday with the striking nurses at which a commitment was made to attend and support a peaceful protest planned for tomorrow morning. The protest begins at 8.30 am from the Mackenzie Hospital.
A press release issued by the party yesterday said the meeting was held in the Mackenzie Hospital compound after Trotman travelled to the mining town to express empathy with the nurses who were robbed and assaulted on Wednesday last.
During the meeting, the AFC leaders were able to hear firsthand about the many problems besetting the nurses and support staff at the hospitals in Region Ten. It was during this time that Trotman took the opportunity to express the party’s outrage at the attacks, and “particularly vented his abhorrence at the sexual assault that was committed”, the release stated.
“Disappointment was also expressed at the lack of response of the various ministries and departments contacted for assistance by the distressed nurses.”
The release said that the AFC while expressing solidarity with the nurses encouraged all of its supporters to so the same.
The party pointed out that it had previously condemned the attacks during a press conference last Friday and besides calling on the police to spare no effort in apprehending the perpetrators of these heinous crimes, “blamed the PPP/C administration for neglecting the people of Region Ten after usurping the parliamentary seat which rightfully was won by the AFC”.
