A group of workers who are yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19 were yesterday locked out of the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, leading to some of their vaccinated colleagues joining them in solidarity and leaving the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit without nurses for some time.
When Stabroek News arrived at the hospital yesterday around 8.30 am, some nurses, cleaners and other staff members were outside of the hospital’s gates asking to be let in. However, they were repeatedly informed by the guard that only those who can present a COVID-19 vaccination booklet or a negative PCR test will be allowed in.
This comes some weeks after staff from other health facilities around the country were locked out of their places of employ over the new requirements. Workers are expected to foot the cost of the PCR tests themselves.
However, while the requirement was in place for staff at the hospital yesterday, both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients were allowed to enter the compound. Stabroek News was told that guards were instructed that any person visiting the hospital to seek medical attention should be allowed in despite of their vaccination status.
However, as a result of the lockout, the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit was left without nurses for some time.
One woman explained that she visited the hospital around 8 am with a foot injury but was told that she would have to wait since there was no nurse available to register her. “One of the doctors inside of the emergency room said I have to wait because they don’t have any nurse to do registration right now and they don’t know how long I will have to wait”, she related.
She pointed out that only one child and another persons were being treated while she was in the emergency room.
However, the woman opted to leave the health facility and head to a private location as her foot was bleeding at the time.
While guards were ordered to allow all patients in the compound, Dwayne Kesney of Fort Ordnance Housing Scheme met some difficulties as he was initially told since he could not produce his vaccination booklet he would not be allowed to enter.
“I come to see the doctor and they said without the COVID card or the PCR test me can’t go in and see the doctor and I want to know why because this is health”, he said.
However, the man was eventually allowed into the compound to make attempts to meet a doctor.
Meanwhile, Regional Chair-man David Armogan yesterday assured that systems are being put in place to avoid the recurrence of a similar situation. He said that they will be placing some volunteer persons and retired nurses at locations where unvaccinated staff have not be allowed to enter.
He said yesterday, “We are getting some volunteers to come, some of the old nurses and so that retired plus we are moving around staff that got regular turn out to help at the New Amsterdam Hospital.”
Additionally, Armogan said that at present the hospital might only be able to carry out emergency surgeries. “We got a trickling back of nurses into the system because we using the public health nurses and so too from the health centres to come and man the hospital.”
Furthermore, the chairman noted that they were also enlisting assistance from GuySuCo since it has “medics and doctors.”
Armogan stressed, “Systems are being put in place to make sure we don’t shut down the place.”
When questioned Armogan confirmed that the volunteer and retired persons who will be placed to work are all vaccinated persons.
In terms of health workers who stayed away from work in solidarity with those who are unvaccinated, Armogan said, “they will have to answer a lot of questions because why is it that you have the vaccine and you’re staying away from work, and those who are on contracts we will have to look at that very carefully too because if you are a contracted worker belonging to essential services then you got to be at work and there is no reason why you shouldn’t be at work.”
