One day after teachers staged a blackout and stayed offline taking a day off to rest and reflect, health officials said an attempt by nursing officials to do the same yesterday appeared to have failed.
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh told the media yesterday that 90 per cent of nurses reported for work resulting in no major disruption to the health sector.
However, the Trinidad and Tobago Registered Nurses Association (TTRNA) disputed this as it argued that more than 90 per cent of nurses had actually stayed away.
Insisting that yesterday was a day of prayer for all nursing personnel as they sought “to call on a higher being,” TTRNA president Idi Stuart said, “It was a great turnout and the success will really come when the Finance Minister delivers the budget.”
The country’s 2021/2022 annual fiscal package will be presented by Minister Colm Imbert on October 4—and the TTRNA is hoping that all medical personnel including nurses will receive their just dues.
Stuart said the major issue facing nurses currently is the lack of job security as they continue to work on short term contracts.
Claiming this was unacceptable for workers who are deemed to be essential, Stuart explained that when nurses are initially employed by a Regional Health Authority (RHA), “They are supposed to be on a probationary period of six months and once they have fulfilled all the requirements, they ought to be made permanent. If they do not fulfil the requirements, the probationary period may be extended by a further three months.”
Pointing to existing human resource policies, he said after nine months, these persons should be either terminated for non-performance or made permanent—but instead, they are being made to work for years, on short term contracts.
During a social media broadcast yesterday, Stuart claimed, “Persons chose to pray at home where they believe they can communicate better and in peace.”
The protest was intended to highlight grievances affecting nursing personnel including greater compensation, as well as the lack of job security.
Minister Deyalsingh assured that contingency plans had been put in place by the respective regional health authorities so officials were able to mitigate the fall-out and ensure patient care was not compromised in any way.
Chief Executive Officer, North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA), Davlin Thomas reported, “Nursing turnout of 94 per cent throughout the NCRHA.”
Expressing gratitude to those who chose to report for work as usual yesterday, he said, “My deepest regards, respect and admiration go out to these nurses during this pandemic.”
Stuart’s figures claimed to reflect that approximately only 25 per cent of nursing personnel turned up for duty at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), Mt Hope as he stressed, “It is important to note that the Association did not call for a sick out or strike. We called for a day of prayer, to pray wherever the member can continuously.”
He said information was that 35 per cent of nurses were absent from the Sangre Grande Hospital; over 90 per cent were absent at the Point Fortin Hospital; 20 per cent at the San Fernando General Hospital; 40 per cent at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital; 45 per cent absent in Tobago; and 40 per cent absent from the Accident & Emergency Department at the St James Medical Facility.
Checks with officials from the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) revealed, “Services were not at all adversely affected and all areas were covered respectively.”
CEO, North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), Salisha Baksh said, “We did experience minimal absenteeism. However, our pre-planned contingencies were implemented which resulted in little to no disruption in our services.”
JTUM supports
The Joint Trade Union Movement said yesterday it stands in solidarity with the nurses and their representative Union, the Trinidad and Tobago Registered Nurses Association (TTRNA) and the nation’s educators and the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA).
It said as affiliates of the Joint Trade Union Movement, JTUM recognized that the country’s nurses and teachers have been working way beyond the call of duty.