Gov’t treating nurses’ concerns as priority says Dr. Darroux

Darroux said nurses play a key role in the health sector

Health Minister, Dr. Kenneth Darroux has said the government is treating the concerns of nurses on the island as a priority and is committed to supporting the nursing service.

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.

In an address to observe International Nurses Day, celebrated on Saturday, Darroux said nurses play a key role in health delivery.

“We as a government have recognized and listened to your concerns through the Principal Nursing Officer and have made addressing the situation a priority,” he said. “I am pleased to declare our commitment to support the nursing service.”

He said the government has taken “drastic measures” to abate the concerns of nurses.

They include an “increase by 100% allowances, pay special hurricane relief uniform allowance, increase in pay rate of nursing sessions and we have also revisited other administrative measures such as implementation measures for tenure of nurses, provision of transportation and increase pool of nurses among others.”

“In light of these, we would like to encourage you, nurses, to continue to dedicate yourself to delivering outstanding patient and client care not forgetting the importance of family and caretakers involvement,” Darroux said.

He said there is evidence that investment in nursing leads to economic development and the  improvement “in conditions in which people live leads to more cohesive communities and productive economies.”

“We at the Ministry of Health and by extension the Government of Dominica have recognized these elements as significant,” he stated. “We are aware that Nurses are key players, change agents and crisis managers in the implementation of our strategies to achieve the mandate of the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Universal Health Coverage is surely a human right and that our nurses are consistently being equipped to deliver since no one is denied health care nor is it at a cost to the public at the Primary Health Care Level as well as it is accessible.”

Dr. Darroux praised nurses who remained in Dominica after Maria.

“I wish to continue to applaud our nurses for their unwavering support and provision of timely services to our people even after the passage of Hurricane Maria,” he said. “You showed your heroism, patriotism and love for people during this time and we Dominicans would not seize to thank you, especially now as the Ministry of Health is faced with the nursing attrition situation.”

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27 Comments

  1. Have you ever thought that poor medical, and highly unskilled  treatment given to  patients by Cuban and Chines doctors might play a part in the nurses leaving. Look at it this way; a few short months ago your father I understand was ill. You did not hesitate; you went to war with Roosevelt to get him out of the country to some other island for treatment.

    Anytime any of you the so called ministers gets sick you quickly run out to other countries for treatment; for that matter Roosevelt refuse to have Melisa give birth to his children at the PM hospital, hence, he  pay for them to be born in America.

    The nurses are underpaid, while they work under political pressure, if they do not support labor they are step upon, then again perhaps they are tired of seeing people die all due to malpractice!  Is it not a shame that organ transplant are conducted in Antigua, while Dominica does not even have an MRI Machine (Magnetic Resonance Imaging).

  2. The One Of A Kind
    May 15, 2018

    Darroux! Hahahahaha you and Lenox have one thing in common both of you take horrible photos lol…
    Get those ear rings of your ears. Are you trying to be a girl or gangster??? What a shame

  3. FED
    May 15, 2018

    Why you people keep taking advantage of Dominicans like this. The only reason why the is constantly happening is because of the heighten rate of illiteracy. Look at Isaac he said so many things about the government today he is part of it. Really.

  4. Rassheed
    May 14, 2018

    His photo speaks volume. Very spooky :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

  5. Iamanidiot
    May 14, 2018

    I’ll be honest, alot of government employees and positions need more money, teachers and nurses for example. But because the government is so, not invested in sectors that will increase it’s revenue it’s honestly hard for them to do so. So when you do ask for the increase it’s like “Oh you dont need that, and we questioning your motives for asking for more money now,” you saw Skerrit do it to the port workers now he’s doing it to nurses this “questioning motives”. But because there is no money, they try to spin it back on you to make you “look bad”. Instead of the government come to the 21st century and look how to increase’s its revenue with IT, tourism etc no…they do the same old thing in a changing world and expect to be untop of things. It’s always a fete here and a fete there, no boots on the ground, no new thinking just a bunch of talk…but when you make points like this you “hate Skerrit” so all the other islands, st lucia, little st kitts etc will leave us in…

  6. little yout
    May 14, 2018

    Worst minister of health ever! see how you bring health care to the worst in the world.

  7. lp
    May 14, 2018

    Nurses are better off staying home in red you will get house free once you looking good.

  8. Birds of a feather
    May 14, 2018

    Doc you sounding like a stranger to what you trying to say. It’s like you are lost bro. I strongly suggest that you change the subject and instead, talk about something else that you better understand and more familiar with. Change that subject and start talking about this Dominican https://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/09/30/nyregion/chinese-magnate-is-accused-of-lying-about-millions-in-cash-he-brought-to-us.html

  9. Pamala
    May 14, 2018

    All where u go people in the medical make the most money but da they have them like I don’t no cut police officers pay some of them to lazy

  10. Reader
    May 14, 2018

    Darroux! Saqway Cooleve! you look frieghten. The pressure is getting 2 U? It only just began. That’s a church song they usually sing at funerals.

  11. May 14, 2018

    Ha ha ha, after killing everything in D/ca

  12. Cee
    May 14, 2018

    Pawol a bouche cest ma met!

  13. Ibo France
    May 14, 2018

    The nurses main request is a salary increase. Has the ruling administration acquiesced to this request? No. The government offered a few incentives to pacify the nurses but has denied them a general raise of salary. Not all nurses will benefit from the proposed package of incentives. No serious deliberations, if any, were held with Nurses’ Association and a consensus found. The nurses should stand firm until their demands for a general pay increase are satisfied. Their demands should be reasonable and not be overly burdensome on the country’s budget. The government seems to run rough shod over its employees whenever they ask for a raise in pay and refuses to engage in collective bargaining. This should be discontinued. Compromise should be sought.

  14. Ah Chen!
    May 14, 2018

    These men are so caught up with material things that they choose to belittle themselves in public. The man just have himself like a fool in public domain. Gosh man!

  15. May 14, 2018

    This is a bit late. It is a long time since nurses are leaving Dominica because the salary is so low, while the cost of living in increasing the nurse’s salaries are stagnant while they work under harsh conditions. As I have said before, without good health we are not anything. Why would a man leave a doctor’s position to become a politician? The answer isn’t far, it is the big money without forgetting what can be taken under the table. You all are sinking Dominica, sinking so low that people with good skills prefer leaving the country in search of a better life. It is not by giving handouts to people who are dumb, death and blind you all are going to develop the country. There is no growth in Dominica, the government is paying salaries on loans and charities. We cannot survive if we are not self-sufficient. A country which isn’t capable of feeding its people is a failed country.

    • Reader
      May 14, 2018

      . We cannot survive if we are not self-sufficient. A country which isn’t capable of feeding its people is a failed country.
      Contrary to yrs gone by. It’s a shame. Are there yet? Where? Being done as a nation? We are certainly screwed for sure on the brink of collapsing. I guess passport sales and grant will soon end and so will we.

  16. SM
    May 14, 2018

    Man get those stupid earrings off your ears.

    • WAPAP
      May 14, 2018

      Does SM stand for seventeenth century man, lol lol get with the program people no longer pay mind to petty stuff.

    • Observer 1
      May 14, 2018

      The Guadeloupean singer Ira has a song where he talks about “lay nom a ti zano …” :)

  17. Jaimous Thomas
    May 14, 2018

    I support the review of salaries of all civil servants across the board, if you do so then you can/should hold them accountable for the quality of service that they provide to the community. The worse customer service you can find comes from the civil service who gets paid from your taxes, we seek ways of getting them to improve their service delivery or hold them accountable.

    • Real truth
      May 14, 2018

      If the ruling party wants to win the next election, all government salaries must be increased. Nurses and Teachers first,….
      However, if God wants the Present socialist regime gone, nothing they can do……salary increases or not…..

  18. Tobby
    May 14, 2018

    And is not nurses alone right now it includes police, teachers and firemen. These sets of people should not be getting no less than 3000 to maximum 4000 a month after tax. All these ppl should walk in a bank and get a loan freely to build their home and taking their family for a good dinner just like the gvnmt ministers. You put a gnmt in power to look after u not to show off on u with big house and big jeep while u walking of feet and living from month to month

  19. johnjay
    May 14, 2018

    Thought when I saw u on tv saying you dont worry with them believe they ould back track but they kepy on idiot. Cant fight with health services

  20. Jheri
    May 14, 2018

    Why is it that it seems that this Government is ALWAYS scrambling.

    • Laughter the best medicine
      May 14, 2018

      Bc they are scramblers by nature. Just look at their history, up bringing family history. Many fatherless, in their youth???? questionable evidence about paternity etc They scrambled to survive growing up so it’s scramble all the way.

  21. Iamanidiot
    May 14, 2018

    Lies, the other day you take a book in Blackmore book and “rubbish” their concern, now that the nurses double down you back pedaling?

  22. notinterestedintheleast soft drink
    May 14, 2018

    next is firemen and police.

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