Nurses attached to the Linden Hospital Complex yesterday staged a demonstration outside of the hospital to demand a COVID-19 risk allowance and more personal protective equipment (PPE).
They also demanded to know why they were not yet paid since the official pay-day was scheduled for Tuesday.
In a video seen on Facebook, several nurses were heard chanting, “Nurses need risk allowance! Nurses need risk allowance! Essential workers, essential pay! Essential workers, essential pay!”
Newly appointed Regional Health Officer Dr Gregory Harris confirmed that a protest did occur and said that after some discussion, the nurses returned to work about midday yesterday.
He noted that they raised concerns over delay-ed salaries but he explain-ed to them what had happened and that issue was resolved. In addition, he stated that they demanded a COVID-19 risk allow-ance and raised concerns about some issues they were facing at the hospital.
When asked what those issues were, the RHO replied that they were general concerns that could be resolved.
However, according to anonymous sources, the nurses asked for more PPE’s since a few health care workers attached to the hospital had recently tested positive for COVID-19 and also, there was an inadequate supply of PPEs at the hospital.
Meanwhile, Harris said that he, the management of the hospital and the protesters, came to an agreement. “We came to an agreement so it’s just for us to fulfill a few things and move forward,” he said.
He expressed the view however, that the nurses should have approached the management of the hospital with their concerns first, and if they were not satisfied then they could have protested.
To date Region Ten has recorded 96 cases of COVID-19.
