Petrina Francis & Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporters
Left: President of the Nurses' Association of Jamaica, Edith Allwood-Anderson (left, foreground), and her colleagues protest in front of the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Heroes Circle, Kingston, yesterday. The nurses were calling for Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies to address their protracted salary negotiations. Right: Health Minister Horace Dalley has invited members of the NAJ to a meeting tomorrow to discuss issues related to non-wage aspect of their claims. But NAJ President Edith Allwood-Anderson told The Gleaner that the NAJ has responded to the Ministry of Health, indicating that they will continue their "public education campaign" until the Finance Ministry gives nurses a suitable wage offer. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE HEALTH sector is now in crisis following continued protest action yesterday by the island's nurses, which has forced many hospitals to accept only emergency cases.
Further threats are emerging as medical doctors in the public sector are to meet tomorrow to decide whether to accept the Government's offer on wages and fringe benefits. Dr. Myerton Smith, president of the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA), said the offer could be rejected, but that the decision would be made by the 700-member association.
Yesterday, more than 150 members of the Nurses' Association of Jamaica (NAJ) protested across from the Ministry of Finance and Planning's Heroes Circle offices. NAJ President Edith Allwood-Anderson insisted that nurses had not taken industrial action. According to her, they are on a "public education campaign".
But the nurses' action has affected services at several hospitals. Chief Executive Officer of the Bustamante Hospital for Children, Beverley Needham, said almost half the nurses assigned to the institution called in sick for yesterday's morning shift.
Mrs. Needham told The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre that due to the staff shortage, the hospital began discharging patients who were not critically ill.
The hospital has informed members of the public that only emergency cases can be treated until the situation is resolved.
A PLAN OF ACTION
Clinton Pickering, public relations officer at the Western Regional Health Authority, said a plan of action had been formulated to ensure service delivery to patients at the Cornwall Regional, Falmouth, Noel Holmes and Savanna-la-Mar hospitals.
Mr. Pickering said hospitals in the region will cease all elective services until normality is restored and the full complement of nurses back on the job.
In a release, the University Hospital of the West Indies said it would only accept "dire emergency cases" because of the action taken by nurses.
Mrs. Allwood-Anderson said yesterday that nurses stopped conducting overtime sessions as early as last Saturday.
"Sessions literally run the hospitals. The nurses are saying we can't give up our time anymore because the Government does not respect us ... they have disrespected us," she said.
