Health minister questions motive of DNA leadership

Health Minister Darroux

Health Minister, Dr. Kenneth Darroux has advised nurses that they need to “be very careful” as to where they allow the leadership of the Dominica Nurses Association (DNA) to lead them.

Recently, the DNA summoned its members to a series of protests in various parts of Roseau in an effort to get the Ministry of Health to address what they describe as poor working conditions of nurses on the island.

“I have spoken to the nurses even while we were here, radio programmes, etc. that they need to be very careful where they allow the leadership of the Dominica Nurses Association [DNA] to lead them…,” he said.

According to Darroux the nurses association is just a professional organization.

“They are not a union, trade union or bargaining body,” he stated and insisted that DNA members should question their leadership.

“They need to question the motive of the leadership of the Dominica Nurses Association,” Darroux stated.

Darroux said that it is unfortunate that despite the number of initiatives that the government has put in place for the nurses, that the impression is being conveyed that, “nurses have been talking to us or trying to talk to us and it’s falling on deaf ears.”

He saluted the nurses who decided to stay especially in the post-Hurricane Maria period and commended them for their patience.

“The nurses have been working very hard. They have been very patient and I am pretty sure that most of them understand that the Ministry of Health, including the Minister is on their side,” Darroux said.

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43 Comments

  1. Neville
    April 14, 2019

    How much does your master pay you to make a speech like that?? Surely you are not doing it for nothing since only a few weeks ago he dropped you like a hot potato. Or has he something in his hands against you, that you can not ignore???

  2. Karl Orndem
    April 12, 2019

    The leadership we are all now questioning Dr. Darroux, is that of your political party. Time is up.

  3. Joseph John
    April 11, 2019

    Jack Sparrow….. The main character of Pirates of the Caribbean named after a pirate, scoundrel, plunderer and thief. A model pirate who was hanged in Jamaica by Sir Henry Morgan a former pirate himself made governor of Jamaica to end piracy. Maybe you will be hired to end the existence of the opposition gang bangers because you learnt Quid Pro Quo promises from them.
    Is that why your leader is touring North America to line up quid pro quo promises that he will never be able to deliver. He did not deliver the first time and this time no kayray . Krapo will smoke his pipe, your pipe.

  4. Ibo France
    April 11, 2019

    Dr. Darroux, castigating and threatening the nurses is the antiquated form of politics. What is needed to bring resolution to the multiplicity of grievances in the health sector is consultation not intimidation. Happy employees are loyal employees. If the Minister of Health had good sense, he would create cultivate a work culture that supports the happiness and well-being of the nurses.

  5. April 11, 2019

    @Jack Sparrow April 11, 2019

    At the time of my response to yours, the people whom you refer to, on this comment board, are all UWPites, so what do you expect to read from them?

    Here is your response to Joseph John which makes it clear that you, yourself is a UWPites “@Joseph John, its people like you that were like the “House N…..” during slavery.”

    So then your response to the Health Minister is as EMPTY AS NOTHING; there is no substance to it

    And how do we know that the majority of women who participated in those protest were simply UWPites followers–and not exactly nurses

  6. Jonathan Y St Jean
    April 11, 2019

    Is the minister threatening the nurses? I’m sure that the nurses gave been reaching out to the minister on many occasions for the betterment of the health services in the country and also for better working conditions. The minister has been a failure even if he is a trained doctor. He chose to castigate nurses for going overseas to seek better opportunities for themselves which are not available in the country under his stewardship. The minister was focussed on having a hospital built as if this in and of itself will be the answer to all that plagues the delivery of proper and modern health services to the country. Oh ye of little foresight, just look around and see what your legacy is. The Portsmouth hospital, the Marigot hospital, the GrandBay hospitals all in disarray. Health clinics across the country in shambles and nurses and other health providers disillusioned. Darroux you have failed us and now you are threatening the healthcare providers. Shame on you.

  7. Jack Sparrow
    April 11, 2019

    At the time of me writing this comment, there were 22 post, two of which were negative and in support of the health minister.
    This tells me that 91% of persons who have commented thus far are in support of the Nurses standing up for Their rights.
    Mr. D, take note, you and your Government’s actions are not popular.
    A wise man will always change his mind, perhaps it might be in your interest to actually listen with the intention of resolving these concerns..

    • Joseph John
      April 11, 2019

      There are always more negative posts than positive. this is not an indication of anything. It only shows that the voice of the silent majority is dormant.

    • Joseph John
      April 11, 2019

      An other fake pollster . Wow. Well we did not get expelled from reform school for being rude to teachers and fighting. We are quite aware of math in the post modern era.

  8. DAPossieMasse
    April 11, 2019

    Does anyone else see the similarities between calling for the boycott of a business, and now this?
    The civil service sector has clearly been weakened by years of threats to the point that members are literally afraid, and as a result silenced; yet, we call Dominica a democracy. If Darraux and the Labour Party are allowed to break the DNA, who else and what else is off limits? Clearly, they recognize that DNA is a formidable group they cannot, and are afraid to directly confront, therefore they want to sow division between the leadership and the members. Dominica, please do not allow the net results to be the same as the call for a boycott, else our people would be really finished.
    DNA, Darraux has shown that you represent a voice they are afraid to confront therefore they are using misdirection to undermine your unity, so stay strong.
    A few weeks before his death, the abolitionist Douglass was asked what advice he would give to a young black American. “Agitate! Agitate! Agitate!”

  9. Joseph John
    April 11, 2019

    According to the Rules , Procedures, Orders and Policy and practice pertaining to the civil service, if you are a civil servant you are not allowed to be a political activist. You can be dismissed. You are suppose to adhere and support the policies of the government in power, if you cant, resign.
    Civil servants (including nurses) are represented by the Civil Service Association which has been recognize as the legal bargaining body for government workers. Any other situation cannot be acceptable.

    • Anon
      April 11, 2019

      I hope you’re not implying that the nurses/ DNA leader were trying to be political activists. Wanting better working conditions, and better pay does not qualify as political activism. Civil servant in all parts of the world protest to highlight concerns regarding their working conditions, and they are not accused of political activism. But there’s always an idiot trying to insert political motives whenever somebody points out that everything is not fine and dandy on this island. There is a lot of room for improvement in the civil service, end of story. That is what the minister needs to address.

      It’s interesting how this government pretends to be progressive by putting more women in positions of leadership, as political candidates. However, the female dominated fields of nursing and teaching still have ridiculously low pay in 2019. But go on about political motives.

  10. Neutrallll
    April 11, 2019

    There motive is clear: Improve the health sector… make life easier for the trained nurses.. treat them better… You guys have a very nasty habit of bringing foreigners here n treating them like kings n queen whereas locals are treated like dirt…
    You guys need to get it right.. No wonder most health professionals from Dominica are running away and you guys bringing foreigners there who can’t even speak English….
    Dr Darroux stop playing smart man, and get out of here… The nurses know the bad treatment that they are getting for lil money.. You guys are wicked you know, everything is upside down after Maria, but you guys calling election… hospitals in a mess, houses in a mess, roads in a mess , airport , sea port , yet you guys calling elections… Like really my brother, give me a reason to vote your government? Nurses keep applying pressure….. let them labourite go to Dr Darroux n Skerritt for labourdol n panadol.. and pastor Skerritt willl heal their disease

  11. Bob Denis
    April 11, 2019

    The good Doctor Minister may not be totally correct in his assessment of the DNA’ push for recognition , though not a union , PEOPLE power is what’s being exhibited . The minister should not frown on the Nurses but work closely with them . This is the time for Women to come together in a most positive way the Nurses are aware of this Fact . The DNA’ argument is tremendously strong , especially , coming from CARE GIVERS .

  12. RandyX
    April 11, 2019

    Darroux, I think you need to tell your boss that HE should be very careful how he deals with the nurses and DNA. The days that HE is allowed to terrorise the citizens of Dominica are well and truly over. There are laws in this country and they need to be adhered by everybody in particular by the PM. Skerrit should never ever forget that he is the servant of the country and not the other way around. We have let you get away with too much in the past 18 years and this is to stop as of today.

  13. Frank N Stein
    April 11, 2019

    IF they are not lying what is the importance of motives? Stop embarassing yourself. Enough of you man.

  14. jamie
    April 11, 2019

    Darroux quit making a fool of yourself,if the nurses are not being treated right or working in horrible conditions,they have a right to speak out,you have failed them.

  15. LaPlaine Observer
    April 11, 2019

    Union or not. The nurses have been fighting for better working conditions for years and that should be addressed. Skerrit works in his air condition office, and then he is driven home to his Palace/Mansion, while the nurses work in poor conditions and have to hustle a ride to their homes.

  16. viewsexpressed
    April 11, 2019

    Darroux, is out line, rude, disrespectful
    1. Health Minister, Dr. Kenneth Darroux has advised nurses that they need to “be very careful” as to where they allow the leadership of the Dominica Nurses Association (DNA) to lead them. Go clean up your corrupt, dirty, failed Labour dirty backyard before you go pointing fingers at the professional nurses that we the public support due to your incompetent ministry & government failed to address. The nurses have had enough and you better stay focus on the issue on hand to address and solve rather than going on social media and talking rubbish on a very pertinent matter that our nurses have been requesting now for sometime.
    Do not go down the road to attempt to “threaten” our disciplined and professional leadership of the DNA. Go clean and point fingers at your failed corrupt Labour leadership and corrupt government before you point fingers at our hardworking nurses. That finger pointed at DNA leadership is disrespectful as four point at…

  17. The city observer.
    April 10, 2019

    Boy leave our loving nurses alone and take you frustration to Skerrit where it belong. next time you drink that thing the nurses may not be as good to you, so behave yourself boy.

  18. %
    April 10, 2019

    This Darroux guy is now becoming a nuisance..A useless discarded minister now singing for his return .The DNA needs to publicly rebuke you, since you were in a position to help and you didn’t..Do what you want,say what you want, you are dumped by Skerrit already!!!
    You promised a lot, but delivered little!!
    Your waste of time reject!!!!
    Skerrit Must Go
    Skerrit Must Go
    LAZY Skerrit Must Go Now

  19. Bee
    April 10, 2019

    Oh so you know they are working hard but you not doing a patat to provide them with favorable working conditions? And you keep attacking Nurse Felix personally for looking out for the nurses who she represent? I take it is her fault the health centers still closed and it is her fault that nurse operating from their cars? Oh I forget…. is her fault there is no security at the PMH, casualty to be specific allowing vagrants to threaten the folks there?

    And the fools who cannot fly to Martinique like you and your colleagues when they are sick just shouting is politics the DNA playing? ESPEYAH! All you turn will come. In the mean time Darroux keep singing to ensure you get your share of the pot after elections. TANTO TANTO!

  20. Dominica PNP
    April 10, 2019

    Darroux when it’s you or you family member lying in the bed because you cannot be airlifted to another country you say tell the nurses to fight for better working conditions and sympathy. I am a nurse for 33 years and believe me you cannot walk in our shoes. It take a special caring and dedication.There is nothing wrong with DNO. Your government style of fear tactics to keep working people down does not work. Move with the times old fashioned health minister. Engage your nurses spend time with them and tell them thanks you.

  21. Stephen Nicholas
    April 10, 2019

    Man, you really don’t know where you stand, I wonder if you have a backbone. Sometimes you sound genuine then later you sound like you trying to please your cult leader

  22. A FAILED MINISTER
    April 10, 2019

    DNO I know you want to keep your readers informed so you have t report wha is being said since there is nothing being done to report on but Please DNO, Do not report anymore of what the outgoing minister says because he does not sound right and at this time he sounds like a person is lagony and is on their way out. The failed doctor, failed minister, failed parlrep is politically lagony and what he says doesn’t make any sense.

  23. Pipo
    April 10, 2019

    They have a leader, union or not and have their grievances. I support them by and large. If they are not always in a good mood and sometimes off hand to patients I understand that also. Patients conditions are not much better than the nurses. Ask Roosevelt Skerrit if he would like to be treated in our own hospital. Fair is fair. Dont let him play that dividing game again and listen to the nurses. I could not and do not want to do their job. They deserve better. Happy nurses make for happier patients.

  24. Progit
    April 10, 2019

    But wait ner is Democracy or a damn dictatorship… so because the nurses stand up and protest they must be carefull? But wtma I hearing ther ner.. bossman the people can stand up and show they disgust if they feel like my brother.. boss we not loving in Russia or north Korea. Peoplet are free. SO because those people stand up for they right u questioning their motive? Boss move all you mrdar *** theiR eh. Doe worry the joy ride coming to an end.

  25. Skerrit Pet
    April 10, 2019

    You need to BARK a little louder so your master could see your effort and maybe reward you with some leftover. You behaving like Skerrit’ pet

  26. Iamanidiot
    April 10, 2019

    “Be Very careful “, or what? This sounds like a veiled threat. As far as I know everyone is allowed to protest .
    “They need to question the motive of the leadership of the Dominica Nurses Association,”
    Well sir, It seems the DNA is looking out for them. A popular saying is “Who in the kitchen feels the heat”. They are in the hospital, running up and down with no meds, night shifts with no proper security, having to go home late nights and wait for bus 1o clock in the morning. You have your nice office, your .9m gun you flashing in parliament for security on your side and when you have to go out at 1 o clock in the morning, your nice SUV.
    When the nurses try to talk to you and the PS of health you refuse to meet. So apologies if I giggle when you say things like “pretty sure that most of them understand that the Ministry of Health, including the Minister is on their side”.
    If that’s you on their side…God help them if you ever turn against them.

  27. Shaka Zulu
    April 10, 2019

    Darroux every citizen should question motives of thier leadership and be carefull where leaders take them. Here are a few motives: Red clinic, indiscriminately selling passports, money for non farmers, closure of Ross ( i am beginning to wonder if that was deliberate so the US will not have an excuse to bring in troops when the massacre start lime in Grenada), fireing of ministers including yourself and forcing representatives on constituency, non utilization of our healthcare system by political elite, undisclosed MOUs with God knows who, 500k to church befor last election, now pretending to care about lent by canceling activities to find favor again with largest church pop on island, proclamation PM was sent from God, slashing IPO, …..and the list goes on. Yes i agree with you and Dominica should have figured out the motives of its leadership and stop following like blind death and dumb puppets. We know where they have taken us. Born bred Dominicans getting trouble renew passports

  28. Xavier
    April 10, 2019

    So after you, your massa have all enriched yourselves, without doing a thing for the nurses u coming chat crap. Boy tell your massa stop buy honorary degrees and go bury his head in the sand! As for you take what you have accumulated and do just like him. I hope all of you pay for your numerous crimes against this state!

  29. Joseph John
    April 10, 2019

    The solution is simple. If you do not like the job or condition just quit. You do not even need to give notice by resignation. Those streetlike political valueless activities are not model of professional behavior.

    • Jack Sparrow
      April 11, 2019

      @Joseph John, its people like you that were like the “House N…..” during slavery. Always pulling down your fellow brother and sister when they complained for the better of themselves and their family, just to please a white massa.
      1: If Black people did not stand up for their rights we will still be in slavery.
      2: If women did not protest for voting rights their still would be sidelined.
      3: If Black people did not protest for better working conditions and equal pay we would still be eating crumbs that fall on the floor.
      Why quit your job when you have an opportunity to make conditions better for yourself and others that come after you… That’s childish and immature thinking.
      I support the Nurses 100%, fight for what is rightfully yours, despite which ever Government is in power, whether UWP or DLP.
      Ignore the Dr. Darrouxs and the Joseph Johns.

      • Joseph John
        April 11, 2019

        No sir, I am a Carib I fight to the last man. I was never enslaved. I was put on a reservation after they stole my best lands, and conditioned me to obey or stave into extermination. I cannot support any one with a white colonial plantation mentality telling me who to fight for, or support. I do not intend to be used by any anti-government pressure group(s) with ulterior motives.
        The political party which has caused my scocio-economic conditions to improve from the 1960’s are not political gang bangers aggressors. We did not have to demonstrate, threaten and insult them to do it. They did it because they are humanitarians. Today we have doctors and professionals in every field as proof of their good intentions. So do not come calling with your fake history thinking you call fool people, fool us again.
        Who has slave mentality but you and your fellow gang bangers who can only complain, accuse , insult ,talk and do nothing. A bunch of BLUE BUBBLES blowing in the wind.

      • Joseph John
        April 11, 2019

        It was Bob Marley, whose father was from Scotland, who said that if you do not know your history people like you will take us for fool.( Did you know that during talks with the British for Dominica’s independence one of our main supporters was a Parliamentarian from Scotland?)
        Did you hear that one like you is agitating for reparation for slave desendents in the Caribbean. ? But the Islands from the Florida Keys to Trinidad belong to the Tianos and Caribs before the Columbian Exchange ? If Reparations have to be paid for all that land it can only be paid to us , the Dominican Caribs. The sole decendants of the original owners. now you call us Kalinago . Where is the Kalinago Sea . I know where the Caribbean Sea is. A sea that was named after our people in our History.

      • Joseph John
        April 11, 2019

        Oh one more point. We did not like the conditions of white plantation slavery so we QUIT. We would rather die or kill our selves that work for those thieves.
        There is more I could tell you about your mentality and that of your fellow gang bangers, but DNO is to decent to print it.

  30. bwa-Banday
    April 10, 2019

    “They have been very patient and I am pretty sure that most of them understand that the Ministry of Health, including the Minister is on their side,” Darroux said.

    Darroux you are NOT on the nurses side. STOP your nonsense and just gooooo awayyyyyyyyy! As Health Minister I can understand you being the biggest defender of the DLP actions that brought our healthcare system to its knees simply because it is troubling your conscience.

    Here is a suggestion that will make you feel better:
    1. Repeat “an act of contrition, oh my god I am very sorry for my sins against the nurses, the people of Marigot and Dominicans by extension” four times
    2. Repeat ” Hail Mary I don’t want to fool Grace anymore” twenty time.
    3. Then get LOST and don’t show your face again.

  31. Shameless dog
    April 10, 2019

    Boy a dog is always going to be a dog no matter we try to make it look like. You could shame it, kick it, beat it up but just throw a bone by it and it attack anything to defend its owner even if afraid and cannot trust the owner. That’s a dog people

  32. Ibo France
    April 10, 2019

    How on earth Dr. Darroux got elected defies comprehension. Just examine the shameful state of healthcare under his watch, worst ever. All hospitals and healthcare facilities are in a serious state of disrepair. There is a serious shortage of nurses, doctors and other medical ‘professionals. For such a shabby job, Dr. Darroux does not deserve a take home salary. He should be banned from public office for the rest of his natural life for his gross incompetence. He has put the entire local population lives in serious jeopardy.

  33. PENNY
    April 10, 2019

    Really don’t know the average salary of a nurse in Dominica or the working conditions but for them to be complaining so much there must be something wrong. Meet with the nurses and try to work with them because we need them to stay back home. To many of them are living 😥

  34. ??
    April 10, 2019

    The minister is right. The organization is an arm of the UWP. It’s just a shame to see how politics has infiltrated the medical system.

    • USA Nurse
      April 11, 2019

      you should be ashamed of your sorry self, you … kisser. you must be one of Skerritt’s pet too. DNO has nothing to do with UWP, bury your head in the sand and examine where u put your tail

    • Bee
      April 11, 2019

      you have it wrong. It was termites and mold that infiltrated the Marigot hospital. It was termites like Darroux, Skerrit and most recently the ruthless matron who infiltrated the health system with their lack of action and commitment to the health of the Dominican populace.

      Get your facts straight.

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