Over the past several days, members of the Dominica Nurses Association (DNA) have been trying to get the attention of the Ministry of Health by protesting against the poor working conditions of nurses on island.
They gathered in front of Government Headquarters on Monday, the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) on Tuesday, the National Cooperative Credit Union (NCCU) on Wednesday and Jollys Pharmacy on King George the V Street on Thursday in an effort to press home their point.
DNA president, Nurse Rosie Felix, said on Thursday that the Association still had not received any answers from the health authorities.
“We have no answers, so we’re continuing to ask the questions. We’re certainly raising public awareness; people need to know what’s happening. The nurses are stretched, working sessions over and over. The conditions are poor. People are complaining too; they know some of the things the nurses are going through,” she said.
She added, “It’s a whole year we wrote to the ministry, we had a first meeting, the PSU [Dominica Public Service Union] spoke and had a meeting. We want answers, we want to stay at home and work…we don’t want to go away…
Felix said better resources, salaries and positive working conditions are needed to facilitate nurses in performing their duties.
Recently, in an open letter to health minister, Kenneth Darroux, the DNA posed 28 questions for which it is seeking answers from the minister. The wide variety of issues raised in the letter range from salary increase for nurses, to security at PMH and other health facilities, to work place bullying to the situation regarding the Marigot Hospital and the condition of certain health facilities since Hurricane Maria.
Dominica News Online (DNO) tried to contact the Minister for Health, Kenneth Darroux on Thursday for comment on the matter but we were told that both Darroux and his permanent secretary are out of state.
The nurses resumed their protest action outside Prevo Cinemall on Friday.
Can anyone help ? I am a bit confused. DNO, legal people trade unionists, frequent bloggers and posters, educators and educated . Help me in my confusion. Which organization is recognized by government as the bargaining and negotiation body for government workers (except police). Which organization has the trade union type mandate bestowed on it by an instrument of Cabinet to represent all civil servants . I thought it was the CSA. If this is so would any agreement with sectors of the service like nurses and teachers be legally binding ? Would ad hoc sector and mob like demonstrations be acceptable and proper professional behavior ? Just asking for some clarification….PLEASE !
Is so we stay… only a handful to do the protesting…then when/if good results come…everybody benefiting. I know it rough on our nurses…some of them pass the rage on patients with their uncouth mannerisms…but all is not lost, keep doing your job the best you can…there is light at the end of the tunnel, right?
The government of Dominica does not need nurses or a hospital. When yours truly gets sick he and his crew jump on on a helicopter at taxpayers expense and fly to Guadeloupe or Martinique for first class medical care. The rest of the people are SOL.
This little boy on the block called kid,am wondering if you’re Dominican or another French man like Skerit who cares nothing about Dominica or Dominicans.
You can’t be negative like this all the time. People like you are so greedy and selfish.
In other words you like
” quarssss”.
Be a patriot,stand for Dominica, get a job ,
You must be both a loner and a loser. Poor thing.
I stand with the nurses 100000% ! However my question is : “where are the rest of them?”
Every day the complaining and their cause is just but when it comes to action 99% of them stay home, call in sick and hide or simply refuse to show their face in the protest. That is sad indeed. How do they expect the public to support them while they stay home and hide? These ladies need to show some balls and stand up for their rights. They behave like parrots, talk, talk and talk. Alas we finish in Dca if our nurses refuse to talk for themselves.
Rossie, your agenda is clear. Even the blind can see it.
Best of luck with your BLUE motive.
The sole agenda of the nurses is to be treated fairly and respectfully. Give them a fir day’s pay for a fair day’s work. Make the inhospitable conditions hospitable. That’s all they are asking for. KID, your comments are always in defence of the unpardonable. This clearly shows your bottom-floor-level intelligence.
A NURSE is one who opens the yes of a newborn and gently closes the eyes of a dying man. It is indeed a high blessing to be the first and last to witness the beginning and end of life.
Let us all support our nurses for they have saved many a life. Can you even imagine a world without nurses?
They liming with their wife at the UN. wicked they wicked.
Just like Lennox liming in the USA conning people of their money with a big box, in the name of Dominca. Wicked ALL YOU Wicked.
KID, heartiest congratulations! No errors this tome around. However, your language is pedestrian as per usual.
I’ve told you numerous times before, YOU ARE NUTS. Do yourself a favour and see Dr. Benji. I’m sure your PM is gonna pay the bill for you.
Just like who went to St. Lucia without an invitation to Chestneau inauguration.
I recommend that you take a walk to the ministry of health and ask to set up a meeting with your leadership and the minister of health and the permanent secretary. This may prove effective in helping out your plight.
And what makes you think this hasn’t already been done? Have you even read any other articles about the situation?
Rosie behave yourself. why must persons use others for their political ends. the very same people all the time. Look at them! Open your eyes! Protest protest etc. just like who they support. It is not a secret that Rosie is on the executive. I am sure this can be done in a better manner as I know for a fact that dialogue are taking place re some of the issues she mentioned and by the way who represents them. CSA and Letang likes to take the Government to task. Remember the Port etc and other Public Servants. This is a disgruntled few using the association for their political end and most of you people who do not like the Government, is those things you enjoy, without any good feedback for nation building only complains.
I do not care about how many turn downs I get. Because all the Negative persons out there have no work to do but complain and hate on persons especially the PM and Government. A people who even want to put words in your mouth. Get a life!
YOu are really to be questioned ????about your thoughts and thinking.
The nurses I have heard crying out npow for over 12 years and they have been exceptionally patient and professional for the work and acsrifice they do on our behalf at the PMH. This silly Labour government has no pririoties and if there is a mninster for health, what the heck is he, has he been doing. Crying for his supper with “I Love my Silly Odd Prime Minister? Nurses have a big task before them at any hospital and they need not be protesting but caring for those who are sick and in emergencies. They are human beings, Domiincans and mothers and fathers with families. The whole damn talk now is that so called Meleina Who??) runnig on the Red Clinic Bobol Party for elections. What a shame, a disgust, trivialiity & incompetence, what favouritism. Odd Minister Skerrit must Go. Who the Hell is Meleina, what kind of fake news is this? Damn it, please get lost, leave our Dominica alone, Go. We have Hon Linton and UWP
I am sure you will agree the gravity of the situation would be demonstrated in the number of individuals demonstrating the impact of government policy or lack thereof as nurses. Of all the protests tgat I’ve viewed there are barely 15 individuals present. Does that constitute the majority of nurses in Dominica.
Galileo, fear of losing their jobs and victimization has the majority of nurses paralyzed. One nurse demonstrating on the streets can make a significant difference in the lives of many. Your comment and insinuation is rather vacuous. This clearly shows the high level of fear that permeates the entire civil service in Dominica. The entire public service should hold island wide demonstrations against the suffocating and dehumanizing conditions caused by the misguided policies of the present regime.
It is political….it’s just not red and blue politics…it’s ensuring that nurses have the proper resources and environment to work with! Thank God there is someone like Rosie…to stand up for nurses…are you saying that it is OK to have no hospital in Marigot? The airport is right there? Are you saying that nurses are paid well? I think it’s you with your red glasses on that is playing politics….We NEED better health care in Dominica….that’s a fact!
Maybe if you were in their situation your opinion.
There is no response because this is a political event. The government will listen to them when they are a serious. If they want to play politics then they should go on the political platform and do their thing. Election coming so they came go on the everyday if they want. They appear like a bunch of losers the way they are going about this. I’m hoping that they grow up and deal with this the correct way. Shouting at the corner of the street with a bunch of politicians is not the answer.
This isnt political…hundreds of us nurses want to take part but we are scared of victimization….we fed up with meetings.we have been crying crying crying and no more tears left. we have written ,we have sat in meetings and empty promises ….nurses leaving by 10s and more…all dominicans will suffer if we dont get attention soon….we took too much we tolerated to much at this time…….PLEASE DONT SAY ITS POLITICAL…I dont care who is running the protest….cause if the place dont have proper ventilation, dont have proper working faculty, dont have certain medications, lack of security is the NURSE…..magwasa….you will hardly hear a relative or patient put the blame where it belongs because we as nurses have made too many excuses for my government in power…yes you heard right my government…I’m a straight shooter no matter of is my people
Maybe if you were in their position you would have a different opinion,like being over work and under pay in poor condition regardless of political affiliation.
When you struggling to make ends meet you can’t afford the luxury of being political I think.
I just think this is total disrespect for our nurses. Begging for better condition to take care of our own families. The government does not care since their care begins in the air ambulance
My people. When the government will not even meet with our health care professionals to address their concerns, we have hit a new low in basic social norms. And to add insult to injury, they are asking us to give them another 5 years? This is pathetic.
quote : Felix said better resources, salaries and positive working conditions are needed to facilitate nurses in performing their duties.
after receiving these , then a change in attitude, empathy for patients
Wow very disturbing patients come first, if you don’t have empathy for patient you should not be a nurse.
*ERRANT not ERRAND
Uwp alone I seeing there we where the labourutes nurses they taking there blose lol. Allu fraid skerrit take back what he give allu, in allu skin. Come out and tell them what they doing is wrong and allu need help.
” but we were told that both Darroux and the permanent secretary are out of state.”
Our of state enjoying nice hotel and nice food on tax payers money while nurses home punishing and being treated unfairly. Wouldnt give a little pay raise but they can be out spreeing with the money.
Out of State for medical attention?
Change is a must labour must go
This is truly a vexing issue, the disdainful treatment and depraved indifference meted out to our overburdened healthcare providers, the nurses in particular. The Minister of Health was ignominiously booted from the DLP’s list of candidates to contest the upcoming election. He has become a nonentity. Roosevelt Skerrit is a totalitarian who has a corrupting stranglehold on all decisions of the government. It’s totally and utterly bemusing and disconcerting that there are Dominicans that would support this man’s errand ways. Then again, even the Devil has his supporters. It’s just unbelievable that people can support such wickedness.
The horrendous working conditions that nurse continue to endure on island is deplorable, to say the least. We can examine conditions at the old Marigot Hospital and Portsmouth Police Station as exhibit one and two. These Ministers and Permanent Secretaries are nothing more than financial leaches upon the backs of the tax payers of Dominica. They are inept, incompetent and lack the level of professionalism and technical expertise required to facilitate care to locals in the twenty first century. An island nation of 289.9 square miles has 19 greedy, waste of time Ministers, while our nurse suffer in silence.
Minister Anthony, you are so right. This potbellied government fights tooth and nail against any thing remotely good for the working class. How such a small population can afford to pay the hefty monthly salaries of nineteen Ministers of government, from a small tax base, is truly bewildering. No wonder the country is so impoverished, the dance can’t pay for the lights.
So sad and feel for all the nurses,yet people continue to support thei corrupt regime,nurses should be best taken care of.If you all can migrate go and find better opportunities.
You remember how Elijah treated the prophets of Ahab and Jezebel after they kept calling but no one was answering? “And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there” 1 kings 18:40.
So eats time to deal with Ahab and Jazebel since they not hearing or answering when you call on them
You see the level of disrespect? My advice to the nurses seek greener paschures leave them people thing for them, you do not have to stay there.
When they leave us that going to suffer….all ministers and their family flying overseas if is just their toe that bounce
Right…so this is why we have to stand in solidarity with the nurses association.
sympathizing by mouth is not enough.
The grass is not always green. Some leave and they can’t ever pass the exams.
If after four days no one answering all you then you need to call a little louder, knock a little harder and walk a little faster. Maybe our nurses need to stop working at hospitals and health centers and instead offer their services on the streets where the protestors are gathered.
Time to hype it up. Take it to your union!!
Withdraw you all labour!!
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go Now
What you expect when your own P.M.has no respect for you. Not himself, not his wife or his children he will let you nurse them. You all are not good enough for him. You allowed to jump up in her carnival band if you have amnesia andpass her vetting and buy a costume from her business in Cork Street, that’s all. But I and many other Dominicans appreciate the work you doing and say thank you.
Minister of health will not check you all .. Remember he was discarded by Skerrit???
Strategize and do what you all have to do!!!Oh how wicked is this government!!!
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
LAZY Skerrit Must Go Now
Can you blame them for ignoring all you?? I sure dont. Just look at how many horses turned up for the demonstration. They seeing all you not serious. All you doe care about all you self so why should they care about yall nuh??