Nurse absenteeism in Clarendon, Manchester triggers staff redeployment
Published:Wednesday | August 25, 2021 | 1:47 PM
Regional Director of the Southern Regional Health Authority Michael Bent says staff members have been redeployed to cover the shortage created by the sickout by nurses in Clarendon and Manchester.
Nurses in the parishes and elsewhere did not turn up for duties this morning.
The industrial action was triggered over complaints about working conditions and remarks from Prime Minister Andrew Holness that no group, including health workers, would receive priority at hospitals if they were to contract COVID-19.
The comment, which was made by Holness last Thursday at a Jamaica House press conference, has angered nurses.
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Arising from the absenteeism, Bent says adjustments had to be made to staffing.
“So all the wards [are] operating with less than the [number of] nurses that were scheduled to be on them, of course, we had to have some of the senior nurses and administrators. So they have to be taking on the extra duties,” he said.
Bent said nurses who showed up for work this morning may be asked to stay on depending on the turnout of staff for the 2:00 p.m to 10:00 p.m. shift.
“So that is part of the contingency that they might have to work beyond their normal shift.”
Sickout breakdown
Manchester
- Ninety-one nurses were down for duties at the Mandeville Regional Hospital, but only 38 turned up.
- Thirty-five nurses were scheduled for the Percy Junor Hospital, however, only 24 reported for work.
Clarendon
- Forty-seven nurses were slated for work at the Clarendon Hospital but 30 turned up for duties.
- Lionel Town Hospital saw all 19 scheduled nurses turning up.
St Elizabeth
- At the Black River Hospital, only two of 36 nurses called in sick.
- Cecelia Campbell-Livingston
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