Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter
The two-day stand-off between nurses and Government ended last night as nurses took a decision to go back to work, following a marathon meeting with executive members of the Nurses' Association of Jamaica (NAJ) and senior officials of the ministries of Labour and Social Security and Health.
"Nurses will call off their public education campaign," said Edith Allwood-Anderson, president of the NAJ, referring to the protest action.
"We will do so because we have noted progress with the Ministry of Labour," added Mrs. Allwood-Anderson.
A four-point agreement was reached at the meeting which lasted more than eight hours and Mrs. Allwood-Anderson said she was in agreement with them. One point agreed to is that negotiations are to resume on Monday and will continue under the auspices of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
Surgeries cancelled
Several hospitals across the island were again forced to cancel elective surgeries, discharge stable patients and offer only emergency services to the critically ill. At the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), elective surgeries were cancelled and the outpatient clinic was closed.
Dr. Trevor McCartney, senior medical officer at the KPH, told The Gleaner that only 35 per cent of registered nurses were present at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital yesterday, while just under 50 per cent of nurses reported for work at the KPH. Dr. McCartney said KPH asked the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) to refrain from sending referral cases to the hospital, noting that they were accepting dire emergencies only.
Suzanne Brown, a senior nurse at KPH, described the working conditions as "chaotic".
"As nurses we don't know how long we can work under these stressful conditions," she said.
Ms. Brown told The Gleaner that there were wards without registered nurses. "The administrative staff and senior nurses have to do double shifts in order to maintain the minimal care," she said.
The University Hospital of the West Indies, Bustamante Hospital for Children and other hospitals across the island were also forced to cut back on services offered.
Clinton Pickering, public relations officer at the Western Regional Health Authority, said of the five nurses scheduled to work on the morning shift at the Falmouth Hospital, Trelawny, three did not show up. The situation was similar at the Savanna-la Mar, Noel Holmes and Cornwall Regional hospitals.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bruce Golding urged Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to intervene in the health crisis.
The NAJ has been at odds with the Government over wages for several months. The association withdrew its membership from the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions to negotiate for salaries and fringe benefits for nurses on its own.
Settlement
The organisation had given the Government until June 30 to complete a wage and fringe benefits settlement, promote nurses who have been acting in positions for more than six months, and provide a scarcity allowance for them.
The Government had offered the nurses 22 per cent over two years for levels three and up, and 24 per cent over two years for
Levels One and Two nurses. However, the nurses are requesting an 80 per cent pay increase in the first year and 40 per cent in the second year. When their request was not met, scores of nurses protested and stayed off the job earlier this month.
Names changed to protect identity.
