Sickout by nurses hits hospitals

David Salmon/Gleaner Writer

Scores of nurses across Jamaica called in sick this morning as healthcare workers have become restive over growing fatigue in managing a surge of COVID-19 cases along with record hospitalisations and deaths.

The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) as well as the Cornwall Regional, May Pen and Mandeville Regional hospitals are among the facilities affected.

The UHWI has confirmed that at least 52 nurses have called in sick.

An online meeting that was held Tuesday between Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton and the executive of the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) and about 300 nurses failed to address grievances and stave off the protest.

It is understood that nurses were militant at the talks with Tufton and criticised the relaxation of COVID-19 measures, including the reopening of high-traffic industries like the entertainment and events sector.

Tufton told The Gleaner this morning that the health ministry is assessing the scale of the sickout.

One senior nurse, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, explained that the frustration of healthcare workers reached boiling point after Prime Minister Andrew Holness revealed that no group would receive priority attention if they caught COVID-19.

READ: Gov't insists hospital staff exposed to virus must wait in line for treatment

"In these matters, once it comes to care, then the only standard medical triage will apply. There wouldn't be any predetermined priority list. That would be problematic,” Holness said at a Jamaica House press conference last Thursday.

His remarks poured cold water on the suggestion posited by several healthcare workers, including NAJ President Patsy Edwards-Henry, who argued that structured measures should be introduced to guarantee care if healthcare workers contract the virus.

The advocacy came against the backdrop of several healthcare workers succumbing to complications from COVID-19. 

Two weeks ago, Percy Junor Hospital's Annette White-Best was confirmed as the first case of a nurse dying after contracting COVID-19 on the job.

White-Best succumbed after waiting for a long period for a ventilator. 

Retired nurse Linnette Johnson passed away from COVID-related complications last Thursday, hours after her husband succumbed to the disease.

The senior nurse explained that the planned protest is aimed to force the Government to change its stance on the issue. 

“Nurses are disgruntled about not being given the medical attention that they need if they contract COVID. They are hoping to achieve the attention of the Government as it relates to seeing to the needs of the group," the nurse said on Monday in an interview with The Gleaner.

When contacted by The Gleaner, Edwards-Henry revealed that she was not aware of any planned industrial action and that the NAJ was not involved in any such protest. 

“I don't have any information on that,” she replied in response to our queries on Monday.

She also refused to comment on the prime minister's remarks.

Pressed again for comment this morning, Edwards-Henry denied knowledge of a sickout.

Jamaica has recorded more than 63,000 COVID-19 cases and 1,417 deaths.

Healthcare workers are becoming increasingly frustrated as nations struggle to combat the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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