NASSAU, BAHAMAS — While conditions have improved for nurses to some degree, Bahamas Nurses Union President, Amancha Williams said the union is still not satisfied with the consistency of the Public Service Commission.
Last month Williams agitated about the length of time the PSC took to process payments for nurses, and although those monies are now being paid out, according to her, if these delays keep happening, they will strike.
“We were going to because we were so tired of fighting the same battle,” she said.
“Why should the government take a year to pay these young nurses? That was our reasoning and some of them have gotten paid up to today; some persons have still been getting paid and effective of January the individuals will be paid,” Williams said.
The union has still not completed its task, Williams said, explaining that improvement in public service will remain a concern as the healthcare system needs a lot of attention and organizing.
“I shouldn’t even have to ask for these things and that’s why I want to see the improvement of the public service and the commission,” she continued.
“It has to do better, it’s too much red tape for us, we gonna have to watch it, we’re gonna have to strike we are going to have to shut it down in order to achieve that goal because we need a commission for ourselves; we don’t need to be waiting a year to get paid.”
Williams said that government needs to do more, especially, if they want to mitigate the brain drain.
“I would like to see that nurses will be paid in a timely fashion we have a group of graduate nurses, that just came out and we lose and we bring in the new one and we are losing the old one.
“So I hope the government will create a plan, implement a better system, an HR system that will boost the morale of the nurses and infrastructure.”
With plans for a new hospital in the capital on the agenda, Williams said that it is good news seeing that they have been limited with the number of resources currently available at the Princess Margaret Hospital.
She said: “We have a number of wards down, I pray that my minister of health Mr. Darville will continue to do work in ensuring that these works are completed, and the hospital that we’ve already invested millions of dollars in, to ensure that it is improved.
“Too many wards are down for closure, twenty-two beds we have at least about six wards down; we have one part of pediatrics closed down, we have one part of eye ward closed down and the surgical area so we go over to the surgical area, we have one ward down.
“[…] about five wards down in the medical area, that is terrible and we’re a growing nation.”
Williams said that she hopes that the groundwork for the new hospital is taking place and that it is needed because the hospital is very old and patching-up, is not working.
“It’s old, and we can’t get the old one together and that means we need to move to the new […] we still have patients that are sick and still need that environment so what are we going to do? Put them in tents? No. We have to think out of the box and we have to build a new hospital, we don’t even have a proper children’s ward.”
Williams said that they are also in need of equipment and supplies and she wants to see improvement because nurses have resulted in bringing their personal items to work.
“They’re bringing their own thermometer, they’re bringing their own blood pressure machine to ensure that the patient’s vital signs are correct and accurate.
“We’ve been working in accident and emergency for almost three years now, and presently my nurses have been working in some poor conditions right now.”
She says, however, that they have seen improvement with two more critical areas of concern, and with those being upgraded, she anticipates more improvement throughout the year.
“We’ve upgraded the lab and the morgue is up and running and we thank God for that. […] and the workers in the environment are pleased and we are grateful,” Williams said.
