Dear Editor,
The controversy over the payment of two nurses employed by the city council more than five months ago, has activated our communication system within the public relations section to bring the public up to date on this issue. We begin with a brief comment on the background of this public health service, at the council:
The Welfare Centre, South Road, between Bourda Street and Orange Walk, bears the name of the first female Mayor of the Georgetown municipality, Ms Dorothy Bailey, in 1977. The building was erected on lands formerly used as a model garden for primary schools. The infant Welfare Centre which is the larger of the two buildings and is situated on the eastern portion of the compound, was opened on Tuesday, November 28, 1931 by Governor Denham’s wife. Mr McGaw, Engineering Draughtsman of the Public Works Department, was responsible for the detailed design and the erection of the structure. The original building is on eight-foot pillars, and is ninety feet long, and it carries two wings of 32 x 15 feet each.
The upper flat of the building comprised of a lecture hall and reading room at the eastern end, in the midsection were a dispensary, weighing room, waiting room, examination room and changing rooms. At the western end were the toddlers’ rest room and the administrative offices.
The lower flat was used as a waiting room and also providing playing accommodating for children. The centre was laid out on up-to-date lines with all domestic conveniences.
The Georgetown municipality inaugurated its Public Health Department in 1911, and appointed Dr Wishart as its first Medical Officer of Health and, on his recommendation, in 1913, adopted the early notification births ordinance and appointed two health visitors to work under its provisions. In 1914, the Baby Saving League, founded by Lady Egerton for the whole colony, commenced operations in Georgetown, by establishing two welfare centres. There were, thus, two independent bodies, one official and one voluntary, working together for a single purpose.
This continued until the end of 1925, when the Baby Saving League handed over to the municipality all their activities in the city, since when all welfare work in Georgetown has been under the control of the Mayor and Town/City Council.
The committee of the Overseas Nursing Association, under the leadership of Lady Wilson, became the first superintendent of the clinic for British Guiana, from England.
The chief aim and objective of welfare work is to prevent disease in infants, which begins before the birth of the child. Lady Denham noted in her address, “I would like to stress… that in no way must the Centre be looked upon as a hospital.” The object of the centre is prevention and not cure. Mothers, of course, will be advised when it is necessary to take their children to the hospital.
A management committee ran the clinic. Dr P James Kelly was President; Lady Denham and Mrs AV Crane, Vice Presidents; Mrs Percy C Wight, Mrs WH Richards, Mrs HC Humphrey, Mrs RT Bayley and Mrs JB Singh were members of the financial committee; Dr Kelly and Mrs Oscar Webb represented the Committee of Management; and Mayor Percy C Wight, J Gonsalves and Mr AA Thorne, represented the Town Council.
The clinic for children primarily looks after the health of infants – children under one year –defective children were supervised, and a special fund was set up later to provide expectant mothers in needy circumstances with free milk or food on the recommendation of the health visitor.
Mothers brought their infants to the clinic to be weighed, and to obtain advice regarding their care. It was realised that the supervision of infants during the first year of their lives was insufficient and that supervision should begin before birth and continue for the first five years of the child’s life.
Pre-natal clinics were, therefore, instituted to supervise the expectant mother; as for children, their medical supervision continued throughout the pre-school period.
Ever since that time, council has been making every effort to maintain and improve this vital service to citizens. However, the very poor financial position of the municipality affected its capacity to continue to provide health care and related services efficiently to citizens. In fact, that section is experiencing a crisis. In reality, that section needs in excess of twenty health care professionals to deliver quality services.
The negative financial circumstances of the council did not permit us to recruit even the thirteen staff that were budgeted for in 2014 by the department; only eight are working at our clinics.
At present, we do not have a Chief Health Visitor, Deputy Chief Health Visitor, Senior Health Visitor, and there are vacancies for nurses and midwives.
It is against this background that the Mayor and City Councillors, having carefully considered the matter at several of its Personnel and Training Committee meetings, and at full council statutory sessions, took a decision to advertise vacancies for nurses in three local newspapers. Contrary to the decision and general policy of council, Ms Carol Sooba, only advertised the vacancies in the Guyana Chronicle.
As a result, only one application was received by the personnel section.
This along with previous applications on file was processed and five nurses were interviewed. From those interviewed, three were selected for employment.
However, one of those identified found employment elsewhere; two were employed by the council.
A research of council’s records—minutes and agendas—would reveal that council took that decision.
Regrettably, five months after those two nurses were employed, they have not been paid. Something has to be seriously wrong with the systems within our organizations, when they cannot facilitate the payment of staff five months after were employed.
Worse is the fact that council, at all of its statutory meetings, continues to instruct the administration to pay the nurses, but to no avail. It is a really sad situation.
Never before have we written such letters about our nurses, disheartened by a callous stubbornness on the part of the administration to recognise and duly reward them for their unflinching and dedicated service to the city.
These nurses preformed unsung duties every day to mothers and their babies. Indeed, the fate of thousands of unborn infants depends on the work of our nurses and midwives. Yet, unsurprisingly, Ms Sooba finds it difficult to pay them even the small salaries we offer for their great work.
It is very hard to imagine or understand how this unkindness could persist in the municipality in this 21 century.
We wish to encourage those nurses to keep the faith and do not become weary.
The Mayor and Councillors are doing everything practicable to correct this situation. Let us all hope that this unhappy event will soon pass away and kindness, respect for others, service and good judgement will be the lights which guide our relationships with the municipality.
Yours faithfully,
Royston King
Mayor and City Council