THE EDITOR, Sir:
IN AN age when the health sector is short of nurses and the hospitals are breaking under the strain of work, there are a few forgotten nurses in our midst. I am refer to the nurses who work at the Excelsior nursing department. In a time when nurses are shying away from education because of the heavy workload there are nurses teaching in a programme that supplies nurses for the Government hospitals.
These nurses who are trained are bonded to the Government for at least three years; yet the persons who train them do not even have a post with the Government. They are not recognised by the Ministry of Health or Education.
The conditions that these tutors have to work under leaves much to be desired. They are placed in trailers that have no air-conditioning. These trailers are sometimes crammed with students who are very uncomfortable from the dust and heat. We are talking about a programme that is in a tertiary setting.
I am appealing to Mr Patterson to intervene and do not allow a programme which was the first of its kind in the Caribbean to fade. The Ministers of Health and Education need to act now. I would hate to see the few remaining tutors leave because they are unsure of their status. Please
improve their working condition by appointing them and giving them the proper equipment and tools to work with.
While you are celebrating our 40th anniversary please remember these nurses.
I am, etc.,
MARY TURNER
renrutmary@hotmail.com
