‘Fed up’ nurses stage sit-in at Linden Hospital

Apr 06, 2018 News

By Jacquey Bourne

Nurses at the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) yesterday morning, around nine o’clock, engaged in a ‘sit-in’ in the Out Patient Department while patients were seated both inside and outside of the facility. The action by the nurses was as a result of their concerns about the shortages of both medical and non medical supplies at the hospital.
Management of the Linden Hospital Complex met with the staff to address these concerns. CEO of the LHC, Dr Mohamed Riyasat assured the staff that their issues are being addressed at the bi-monthly Section Heads Meeting and the management is pursuing all possible avenues to have them rectified.
Staffers at the LHC are extremely disgruntled, because according to them, shortage of drugs has always been a sore point. They claim that basic things are not in stock such as gloves and medical tape, with scotch tape being used for the latter.

Nurses during yesterday’s ‘sit-in’ at the Linden Hospital Complex.

The nurses also complained that when they attend the University of Guyana and would have attained a Bachelor’s of Nursing Science Degree, their salary remains the same, but teachers’ salaries increase when they have achieved a degree. They are hoping that the authorities will look into this as soon as possible.
During a teleconference with Minster of Public Health, Ms. Volda Lawrence, Director of Regional Health Services Dr. Kay Shako and Management, it was decided that the Linden Hospital Complex will be acquiring supplies through GPHC temporarily. Representatives from the LHC were sent immediately after the teleconference to Georgetown to uplift the first set of supplies.
Management will meet with the staff again today for an update on the situation.
Meanwhile, the Ministry in a statement said that it is currently addressing the issue at the Linden Hospital Complex where the nurses had staged a sit-in because of the Complex being in short supply of medical supplies.
According to the statement, “On March 6, 18 and 21, the Linden Hospital Complex ordered medical supplies from the Materials Management Unit. On March 6, they received 16 out of the 24 items requested; and on March 18 they received 91 items out of the 174 requested.”
It was revealed in the statement too, that “It is usual for the Linden Hospital Complex to purchase drugs and medical supplies whenever there is a shortage, but as a result of poor forecasting, the medical institution has already spent all the monies allotted for the first quarter of this year.”
The Ministry in its statement added that it has begun to put the necessary measures in place to correct the anomaly. It was further noted that currently, the Ministry is in the process of clearing some containers of key medical supplies.
The Ministry also revealed that the management of the Linden Hospital Complex was never notified of the intended ‘sit in’ by the Guyana Public Service Union nor its Linden Representative.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News