ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC):

Nurses here say government's efforts to address the nurses shortage in the island, while noble, only address the symptoms and not the cause of the problem.

Last week, Dominica welcomed 16 volunteer nurses from Nigeria and earlier this year 26 nurses were introduced to the nursing profession, but the Dominica Nurses Association (DNA) said this was doing nothing to address the critical question of the migration of nurses.

"No, we are not satisfied that it is being addressed adequately. We welcome foreign volunteers to our health service, but this is to our mind treating the symptoms and not the cause of the problem.

"What our employer has not addressed is the retention of nurses," DNA President Rosie Felix told a media conference to mark the association's 50th anniversary.