Public health nurses are working in “dangerous and unsanitary” conditions and facing rising threats to their safety, the Democratic Labour Party warned on Monday, as the party’s president called for urgent government action following attacks on nurses.
Senator Andre Worrell chided the administration for what he called “chronic mismanagement, political indifference, and failure to prioritise frontline workers who continue to work under dangerous and unsanitary conditions”.
In a media release, triggered by the recent attack on nurses at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Senator Worrell expressed concern over rising security threats faced by nurses and the lack of security provided for them.
“While they grapple with outbreaks and poor infrastructure, we have seen in recent weeks multiple attacks on nurses while travelling to and from work and at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital,” he said.
“We extend our support to the affected nurses and wish them a full recovery while calling on the government to ensure that counselling and security measures are provided without delay. Adequate security must also be deployed at healthcare facilities to protect both staff and patients.”
Senator Worrell said the situation is “particularly dire” at the Psychiatric Hospital, “where nurse-to-patient ratios have fallen well below international standards due to staff shortages and government austerity.”
“Current staffing levels reportedly see a mere three nurses attending to as many as 54 to 60 patients per ward, with no on-site security present to assist in emergencies. This not only endangers nurses but also places patients at risk and makes it impossible to deliver quality care,” he admitted.
Senator Worrell also addressed the recent outbreak at St Bernard’s Primary School–which health officials suspect is hand, foot and mouth disease–which resulted in the closure of the school for two days last week.
He called for more openness from health authorities: “This approach to public health management must change. We urge the Chief Medical Officer and the Ministry of Health to commit to a transparent approach with timely updates and clear communication to the public, not secrecy and public relations.”
Senator Worrell also urged the ministry to “abandon its top-down defensive approach and instead embrace a culture of inclusion, feedback, and openness. Nurses, patients, and communities must have a voice in shaping the future of healthcare. Ignoring these has led us to this crisis.”
He said the DLP remains steadfast in its commitment to “defending healthcare workers, promoting patient-centred reform, and restoring a system in which health is a right, not a privilege, and certainly not a political afterthought.” (LG)
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