The GPHC today rapped the public service union for the illicit protest action yesterday by nurses and other health care workers.
A statement by GPHC follows:
The Management of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) notes with concern the Guyana Public Service Union instigated and coordinated protest action involving nurses and other health care workers of the Corporation on the morning of September 25, 2020 without exhausting proper industrial relations practices and procedures in accordance with the Public Utilities Undertaking and Public Health Service Act Chapter 54:01.
The administration wishes to thank all staff members for their service towards providing quality, efficient and equitable care to our patients however we are deeply concerned that amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, health care workers from the GPHC have resorted to measures that can only aggravate the current situation and place additional challenges on our fragile public health system.
Management wishes to state that protecting our staff as this pandemic evolves remains our top priority, consequently we have in the past and continue to provide appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in order to equip our staff members so they can provide safe, efficient and effective care to our patients while at the said time doing so in a safe environment.
Management further wishes to state that it has and continues to provide risk allowances to staff members in accordance with the provisions catered for in Public Service Circular NO PS: 20/19. We intend to continue to provide those provisions for all workers at the GPHC, in accordance with the stipulated regulation. While, we remain committed to timely and constructive engagements to consider the requests of our health care workers we strongly advise them to refrain from accepting inappropriate advice and abandoning their duties to support further illegal protest action until every avenue provided for in the relevant legislation is exhausted.
Until such time, further protest action(s) remain illegal and may attract punitive action. In the interim, we recommend that proper industrial relations practices and procedures be observed, by all, in accordance with the Public Utilities Undertaking and Public Health Services Act and request that all health care practitioners continue to do their jobs in a professional manner; and await the provisions contained within the 2020 National Budget.
The management of the GPHC recognises that with the increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases, there is heightened concern among healthcare workers and assures them that every effort will be made to ensure that our staff feel supported, protected and appreciated for their hard work and dedication to our patients.
