Nurses and other staff members of the Linden Hospital Complex are continuing industrial action over remarks made by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and despite the Ministry of Health warning that negotiations relative to the situation will not commence until they stand down.
Region Ten Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Chairman Deron Adams, via telephone, told Stabroek News yesterday that the strike action is now continuing on a 24 hours basis. “The nurses say they are not going back to work until… a new CEO comes to the region,” Adams said, before adding that the nurses continue tend to emergency patients.
He said that the hospital is currently working with a skeletal staff, while there is also a massive drug shortage.
CEO Rudolph Small, who was reported as saying the nurses regularly abandoned their duties to engage in extramarital affairs, was removed last week Monday and then reinstated the following day by the Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Malcom Watkins.
The nurses are being supported by the RDC and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), which both have written to the Ministry of Health concerning the situation. The RDC has said, in its letter, that the statements Small reportedly made are “disrespectful and totally untenable”, the GPSU wrote to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony requesting the removal of Small. It stated that the allegations are scandalous and expose the officer, his office and agency to litigation.
Small was reinstated with the caution that he should conduct himself properly and take actions to “mend the tensions in relationships that presently exists”.
However, when Small turned up to work on March 3rd, he was greeted with a protest by nurses who attempted to block his entry into his office.
On March 6th, the Permanent Secretary called on the nurses and the union to continue to engage the Ministry in resolving the situation. He explained that the current strike could by extension impact the people of the entire region. He further said that the ministry would not be negotiating with nurses and the union until the strike is called off. Watkins said that he informed the union in a discussion with their representative on March 5th, 2021 that the ministry remains open and ready to discuss the concerns of the nurses at the LHC. “We will, however, not negotiate under duress. We remain in contact with the Union and with the Ministry of Labour and we are ready at any time to resume the discussions we started on March 4th at the Ministry of Labour”, Watkins said.
