Workers at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, who walked off the job yesterday to protest an incident in which one of their colleagues was seriously injured, threatened that they will not resume duties today unless security measures are implemented by the hospital’s management.
About 11:30 on Wednesday night, splinter from a shattered glass window became lodged in the eye of a health records technician after a parent, who reportedly wanted his child to be assisted at the hospital but was told to wait, got upset and smashed the window.
Consequently, the workers, who were incensed by the way in which the situation was handled and also by what they described as continuous abuse from parents, took to the streets to register their disgust.
The workers, which included all categories except doctors, gathered outside the gates of the St Andrew hospital singing and chanting: “We want justice. We want security. Wi tired a de beaten”.
Tamra Brown, a health records technician and union delegate from the Union of Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Personnel (UTASP), told the Jamaica Observer that the workers have reached their limit with the constant abuse from disgruntled parents and were spurred to protest after their colleague was injured.
“We are here because our cup is full. We want better security systems. We want the parent arrested and convicted and we want back the police post that was here and was removed,” she said.
According to her, this is the third incident for the month in which a worker has been injured.
Brown said in the other two incidents, a woman pushed a door and hit a doctor because she did not want to wait, and a man pulled a knife on another doctor after he was told to wait.
She also said that parents have been issuing threats to workers.
“This has to stop. This must stop. We want justice, we want Minister (Christopher) Tufton to step in,” another worker said.
At the same time Sherine Ross, another health records technician, said that despite the complaints from workers about the ongoing abuse from parents, all they have received from the hospital’s management are empty promises.
Negotiating officer for UTASP, Howard Litchmore, who was present during yesterday’s protest, said that he had met with the hospital’s administrators and that they have agreed to put in certain measures, including installing windows that cannot be shattered, increasing security and placing security at strategic points.
But the workers are not convinced. They believe nothing will be done and accused the management of making empty promises whenever an incident arises.
“Our return is dependent on solid measures, not fairy tale,” Brown said. “Measures like us hearing from Minister Tufton saying that on this day this will happen, or that we will have a security post.
“They need to change the security company that is here because the company is not effective. We can’t be working and security is sleeping,” she added.
Their workers’ actions yesterday prompted the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) to advise the public that the Bustamante Hospital for Children will only be accepting emergency cases until further notice.
In a release yesterday, SERHA said it is working with the staff to restore normality as soon as possible.
As it relates to the injured staff member whose eyeball was reportedly removed and reinserted, SERHA said she is recovering at the Kingston Public Hospital.
“The region continues to appeal to the public to treat all health staff with respect and give them your full cooperation while they continue to serve the public,” the release said.
Checks made to ascertain whether or not action will be taken against the parent in question were unsuccessful.
I don’t agree with being physically abusive to anyone, however the staff over there needs training in dealing with people. Many times Im there with my child not because i want to but because i have to. My sons medical condition does not allow me to go to a private institution because the specialist are there at Bustamante, but I tell you Met the treatment makes me want to cry every single time I have to go EVERY single time the Doctors are not so bad for the most part but the nurses the ward assistant and the health records technician they treat you like your bothering them. They have no respect for parents and guardians and will talk to them any way any how.
That is not right at all
It’s sad that someone had to lose their vision. Not everything is a matter of life and death just because sickness is involved. Just wait your turn it will come. Everybody know hospital visits carry a whole lot of waiting, you have to be patient and set your mind to wait. The only way you nuh wait is if you arrived in an ambulance.
Sorry that worker who has nothing to do with the waiting process at Bustamante had to lose their eye. The nurses are disgusting there I took my child there and had to wait till a nurse saw it fit to come weigh the child and tek temperature.
Wow this so sad I always hear people complain about the nurses and other staff being unprofessional (throughout all public hospitals down there), sadly I hope this is a wake up call that they need to change their ways. Can you imagine people waiting for hours just to get their children treated but they are being disrespected? Unacceptable and I bet dem don’t get pull up for this.
The wait process is not the bad part but in my childs condition having a fever is a life and death situation and they are gonna tell you to have a seat before getting a detail background of the childs condition. They treat you like you just come there for the fun of it. One friday night my son was having a fever took him in to the hospital at 7 never saw a doctor until 9 then the doctor told me its too late to do a urine test, please be mindful that a urine test is what will determine if my childs life is in jepordy or its just growing pains as they call it. Tell me now as a parent and you know your childs life is in danager how would you feel.
Sit down before u register?
@ Options: My sentiments exactly. It is sad that the worker lost her eye, but it is like the workers in the public hospitals have become immune when they see sick patients. I can understand the parent frustration, he probably didn’t mean her any harm, but some of the nurses and other workers at the hospital need to show more empathy or simply, just be professional towards the patients. It is their right to protest about their security, but they also need to look into themselves, because some of them holding up placards know their attitudes are not right. I have experienced healthcare overseas at a public hospital and Jamaica has a long way to go. Out here I have to go to Andrews and spend a bag a money, just to get professional service and immediate service.
Nobody likes to wait anywhere….worst when u pickney sick. however, they not sitting around twiddling thumbs and watching children suffer. They don’t get lunch break like most workers, they don’t have a lot of doctors doing the work….nor do they have the resources they need to effectively do their work…..so…..some parents who think fi dem pikney better than the others that the doctors etc are tending to…will just have to wait if that is what they say. A lot goes on there that don’t ever get puts out in the public…add parent abuse to that…..it’s not right. Even so, you say the nurse rude or lazy so dem deserve to lose an eye? Some of unoo need to Doctor unoo own pickney if in fact you can’t wait on the professional to do it. They aren’t wasting time, it’s called work pressure and when unoo govt not giving them the resources to be more efficient, patients suffer. It’s sad, but it’s a fact. So wait (reasonable time) or stay home work magic, but no magic don’t happen at the hospital. Everybody pickney there is priority and needs to be seen
A one a di major tings mi nuh like wid mi country. Wish likkle adjustment coulda mek still like get bout 6 more ambulances an ting cause a nuff ppl dead star an sometimes yuh cyah even blame di staff cause tings bad fi dem certain way tuh.
Hodpital staff dem noh have no manners
It is sad that someone was assaulted and also lost her eye but hope this is a wake up call. The service there is horrible. I took my 3 weeks old child there once and it took almost 2 hours to register, the Doctor was great but the administration staff was awful! I promised myself since then that we would never go back the there.