DPSU plans to meet next week with Health officials to address nurses’ concerns

DPSU’s Thomas Letang

General Secretary of the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU), Thomas Letang, has said a meeting to address the concerns of nurses on island has been planned for next week.

He made the statement after writing a letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health recently.

Dominica is currently facing a serious shortage in the nursing service since many nurses have migrated, especially after Hurricane Maria. This has sparked concerns that the shortage could have an impact on the health sector.

According to the Dominica Nurses Association (DNA), among the issues of concern to nurses are: unattractive conditions of work, which include very low salaries, workplace bullying, stretched human resource and unsafe and oppressive work environments.

 “These issues have been long outstanding matters, these are issues that need to be addressed, some of those issues are responsible for the migration of nurses, some of those issues are the reasons why a lot of nurses do not feel that the concerns are being addressed and therefore we have to do that,” Letang said.

He believes it is important to hold these meetings to find solutions because nurses are very important in the overall development of this country, more specifically in the delivery of healthcare services.

Letang stated also, that the meeting should be held to bring a level of satisfaction to the nursing profession.

Meantime, he revealed that the union may get to a point where a committee may have to be appointed to follow-up with the nurses, “to make sure that we are in more regular contact with the nurses so that those matters can be resolved and as new issues emerge, that they can be dealt with promptly.”

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7 Comments

  1. Sisserou
    August 23, 2018

    Mr. Letang we need to know what is scaring our nurses to death… I mean to run away. Poor salaries have always been there but working conditions for the nurses have worsened under this present regime. What about conditions for the patients; are they diagnosed properly and are they given proper medication and on time? Is there a ready supply of oxygen at PMH and why are so many of our patients dying?(where the police might have to look into it) I know the nurses take an oath of secrecy as a medical practitioner but I think the silence is killing them., We need to call a spade a spade and to stand up and speak up for truth, justice and righteousness.
    …..and don’t blame “maria”

  2. Man bites dogs
    August 22, 2018

    Here’s another problem I have with those two guys Linton and Letang I’m sure it is the same person, man those two always freak me out.

  3. %
    August 21, 2018

    But do we have a Minister of Health?If we do,then this minister is failing the nurses..Health care on island is so terribly bad,when the providers (nurses) have so many issues of dissatisfaction,who suffers? It is surely not those who fly to Martinique for a tooth ache,or for an ant bite ..It’s the poor and indigent on island.
    What a disgraceful DLP government.I am hoping that the nurses will dump those feckless,stolid,useless DLP parl reps in their areas,come next election.
    Skerrit Must Go
    Skerrit Must Go
    Lazy Skerrit Must Go Now

  4. Truth
    August 21, 2018

    I want to know who authorized that. when there is enough nurses the training if nurses on the island is stop immediately. I had a friend who was waiting for about three years to join nursing . up to now she cannot. I think that it is a very dumb idea. it should be a continuous process. every time there is a shortage they run and train more.

  5. Badbaje
    August 21, 2018

    I was of the opinion these supposed concerns were made up by the higher ups of the DNA to encourage nurses to leave the island, and to cause trouble for the government. This is what the minister of health implied in parliament a few weeks ago. Now which one is it?

  6. Hurricane Skerrit
    August 21, 2018

    Boy everything in Dominica is either falling apart or has fallen apart under PM Skerrit, whether it has to do with our nurses, our police officers, public works department that is no more, the banana industry that’s been dead and buried for years now, the loss of Ross University that was born and raised here and survived under OJ, Euginia, Edison, Rosie and Pierrro but could not survive the powerful Hurricane Skerrit. Dominica is badly in need of change and really we should have given a change long time because we saw the distruction that coming our way. I mean while Skerrit destroyed our banana industry, the government of St. Lucia is reporting success in their industry and credited Tiwan for the success they enjoying with the blacksegato. Skerrit has left us with our back against the wall but thank God election is coming and we have another chance to maybe save our country. Folks, it is serious and we must act now

    • Man bites dogs
      August 23, 2018

      @ Hurricane stupid, I will spend much time with you because you are a lunatic, But i will tell you one thing when election comes to Dominica, Mark my words we will give you so-called workers going nowhere jokers clowns a good hiding bye bye clown!!!!

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