Retired registered midwife, Ophelia Linton, has said that transportation continues to be a major challenge for nurses in Dominica.“
She made the announcement while addressing a ceremony to observe the Dominica Nurses Association (DNA) 65TH Anniversary celebrations held at the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) Monday under the theme: “Our Heritage, Our Future: Critical Thinkers into the 22nd Century and Beyond.”
“Transportation is a major difficulty,” she said. “When you leave work in the evening to go home and don’t have your own transport, it is a problem.”
Nurse Linton continued, “ We don’t have a good transport system, so when you work on a weekend because of how the buses operate you have a problem.”
She added, “I don’t know how we are going to fix it because Dominicans have to fix it for Dominicans.”
Meanwhile, according to the president of the DNA, Yolanda Rodney-Jno Baptiste, the association feels a sense of pride over the accomplishments of nurses over the years.
“We can’t help but to feel a sense of pride over our accomplishments such as a safe working environment, enhancing identity and purpose,” she said.
According to her, the DNA continues to socialize its young into the profession in, “innovative ways in an effort to retain membership and stimulate interest.”
Furthermore, she mentioned that despite the challenges and obstacles faced mainly following Tropical Storm Erika, followed by Hurricane Maria, and presently the dreaded Covid-19 Pandemic, the DNA continues to push to ensure that what we are called to do as a body is accomplished.
“The task before and those to come was never and will never be easy,” she stated. “The DNA has proven among all odds that we can stand united and together will continue to achieve.”
Rodney-Jno Baptiste indicated that as the association advances it looks forward to accomplishing goals and leading the Dominica Nurses Association to a bright future.
As part of the DNA week of activities, a church service was held at the Portsmouth Methodist Church on Sunday, August 21, 2022. A zoom meeting will be held on Tuesday [today] with some of the retired nurses and those living in the diaspora. On Wednesday 24, an education session will be held at the DPSU building. A whistle-stop will be held the following day beginning from Roseau to the south part of the island.
“The nurses will be going to the districts to meet with the elderly or retired nurses who are at home and present them with tokens,” Rodney- Jno Baptiste explained.
And on Friday the association will host a Fun Sports Day at Lindo Park. The general public is invited to support.
The celebration will end with a Cocktail on Saturday at the DPSU building where a selected nurse will be presented with a special award.
Which of them is nurse Gloria the Covid-19 Enabler? You see, some of them are all fake smiles. Run they want to run but their lower extremities are engulfed with cellulitis and their upper torso are LABOR filled with Skerrititis.
Many people say nurses do not protest for what they want, many encourage protest and refusal to work. However, they fail to acknowledge the main reason why nurses do not protest and refuse to work. THE PATIENTS! who do you think suffers when the nurses do not show up for work? you aunt, granny, cousin, father. They have many challenges at the same time they will not put the innocent patient at risk for their gains and this is what the government is using against them to keep suppressing them.
If nurses really had to come together and protest, who do you think will feel it the most? and the same people who are encouraging them to protest will castigate their actions.
I have heard this line of argument not only with nurse, but with teachers and other essential civil servants.
My rebuttal is this. A worker performs at his best when he is healthy, stress-free, satisfied with his working conditions, et cetera. You cannot perform optimally in poor health nor under duress.
You have to take care of yourself first in order to give of your best to others.
Ibo, they always seek and find excuses for not taking what should be theirs in the first place. They rather come on here once a month and whine, in the hope the man in charge gets soft. Begging in Dominica is easier than fighting for once rights. Let them keep on begging for all I care.
It’s sad, but I agree with you. These people are completely broken. They have no fight, no resistance against tyranny and oppression like our courageous, militant ancestors.
If people don’t stand up and assert their constitutional and inalienable rights, they would eventually lose them.
The Dominican peoples’ hopes and aspirations have been concussed by Roosevelt and his concoction of racketeers, hoodlums, navy seals and snipers.
Couple or more of bus drivers should come together with the Nurses Association and come to an agreement that will work for the nurses, sometimes we have to take matters into our own hands, no need to rely on government for everything we want.
That doesn’t fix the core issue at hand. It just circumnavigates it for the time being. Nurses should know, the only way to treat a cancer is by cutting it out!
Of course it will. If you are suggesting that the problem is that the Government does not provide transportation for nurses, then you have missed the problem. Which employer is duty bound to provide transportation for staff? Think well. Nurses can purchase their vehicle or ride with friends and family, as many of them already do.
The problem is NOT one of absence of transportation but lack of leadership by the Nurses Association and the Public Service Union and the flawed sense of entitlement by individual nurses.
Every employer is duty bound to pay its employees a fair wage though. How about that, you Russian despot? We are not living in Russia yet! Mind you, one could be excused for thinking so. Worse even, it won’t get any better…
This comment here by “JustSaying” deserves the applause button.
Ophelia, happy as you try to be about it, and simple as it may sound, it is pitiful that there are nurses in the country without the simple necessity as a motor vehicle.
Nurses in the modern world are some of the highest paid people; knowledge is power, it is not easy to become a nurse, one struggles to deal with the science, I’ve seen people struggle in their chemistry class; my older daughter is a nurse; at least in America not many are capable of even accomplishing the prerequisites to move on to the major classes, if the requirements are the same in Dominica when one graduate the pay may not equal that in the more developed countries, but people should be paid enough to be able to buy a common car, and build a house!
The dunce scoundrels in Government all live in more than million-dollar houses, and drive vehicles costing over a hundred thousand dollars, while a nurse rides in a mini-van they term buss in Dominica?
That is shameful; I can understand if one don’t want a car.
Nurses, generally, work long and hard, at some God-forsaken times of the night and early mornings, without being properly remunerated.
However, nurses will never be treated as well as they deserve as they are not assertive, too cowardly, and divided.
What we have in Dominica is an extractive government. They extract the finances and resources from the state to enrich themselves. Nurses, teachers, and other civil servants are of no consequence to those who presently occupy the apex offices of government. The only set of persons they are concerned about is themselves.
To get a raise, for meritorious promotions, for much better working conditions, nurse, you have to grow a spine. Nothing is going to fall in your lap unless you agitate unceasingly for it.
Let me tell you something, you deserve all you get. Transport you are concerned about? Why don’t you ask the dictator to pay you properly that way you would be able to afford your own transport. Protest, refuse to work and he soon come to his senses. After all is hundred of thousand the state can ‘afford’ to pay him, his useless ministers and his spineless cronies. Clearly you not good enough.
…and they live in newly constructed palaces as well, all at the expense of the taxpayer. I almost forgot, chauffeured luxury cars as well! But no money for all you! Walk or take the bus if you can get one!
Are you telling me that in this day and age that Nurses in Dominica still cannot afford to buy their own vehicle? That makes no sense. Why would Government have to provide nurses with transportation in this day and age? Makes no sense at all.
“Why would Government have to provide nurses with transportation in this day and age? ”
Boy ds, shut up!
So, let me ask you this ds, why should government Roosevelt Skerrit, sell so many Dominica passports, and use the proceeds (money) to build and give away house some of them without toilet facilities to you and the other red devils?
ds, it is my understanding that the highest pay for a nurse in Dominica is approximately $1,090, though the salary range is from $530 to $1,700. Guy we are not talking US$ here, that is starvation salary!
These people have to decide between cloths on their backs and food!
I don’t know how many nurses, or people in Dominica can buy a car for cash, but buying a car on credit, is a burden of a lifetime; by the time they are finished paying the dealer, it is time for another one, sometimes the life of the car is over while it is being paid for!
Boy, blame Roosevelt Skerrit that damn crook for all of that!
You, Welfare Recipient, lives in an old, abandoned apartment in New York without any sliver of knowledge as to the severe hardships of civil servants in Dominica.
Nurses teachers and other civil servants live in subtle poverty. After paying their utility bills, buying food and other necessities, paying mortgage, transportation, there is nothing left of their severely emaciated salary.
Take off your blinding, red-rose glasses. Get a grid of reality in Dominica.
Stop ur foolishness
Our Nurses have to stand up for more than that in DA. Express your views on all issues because we know there are lot of issues in that Health System and Hospital. Speak out for the better.
Stop ur foolishness, how dare you ….ally wicked set of people,e encouraging the government to walk all over teachers, doctors ,nurses, policemen in that country. Why don’t you encourage the government to put things in place for our nurses ?wicked bad mind people that have the country so poor.brain drain will finish that country
Excuse me, we no longer have policemen but we have soldiers instead. Mind you, in my opinion THEY are all overpaid anyway. Abusing their position to ‘serve’ their commander in chief.