The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A NUMBER of Department of Public Health nurses are demanding to receive their job appointment letters so they can receive a full salary and the insurance benefits entitled to them.

The workers, who consist of registered nurses and trained clinical nurses, told The Tribune yesterday they have been working in public healthcare for several months, and in some cases, nearly a year, and have yet to receive the letters.

Some are waiting to be promoted as they had already been working for the government as civil servants before becoming nurses.

For the nurses, the situation is especially aggravating because some of their colleagues who are now stationed at Princess Margaret Hospital and Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre have already received their appointment letters.

“It’s just the Department of Public Health that is not doing anything,” one worker, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

When contacted for comment yesterday, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville confirmed that he was made aware of the matter, which, he said, is now being handled by the Ministry of Public Service.

He also said he was informed by the minister responsible for that ministry that workers’ issues were being addressed “as a matter of urgency”.

Still, the workers have questioned why the process has taken so long.

“We sat the Bahamas Nursing Council exam to be licensed December 15, 2021,” another worker, who asked that her name be withheld, added.

“So, from then to now, we’re at 11 months and still no appointment and still no promotion and still no correct monies. We’re going to work every day and we’re performing the duties.

“So, my colleagues are on the student stipend whereas I’m on the regular minimum wage salary. I don’t get coverage. They don’t have coverage. We don’t get the nurses’ insurance.

“We don’t have the uniform allowance. We don’t have anything so the new contract that was signed the other day - we’re not entitled to anything because my colleagues are not appointed and I’m not promoted so therefore none of that is applicable to us.”

The frustrated worker also claimed that the nurses had already submitted the necessary paperwork and done all that was required of them.

She continued; “We were asked a few months back, in March to be DPH nurses, we were asked to submit our documents as a part of the process to be hired so that will be the certificates, your licence, your police records, everything a job would require for the vetting process.

“Once you would have turned those in, the ministry would’ve released them to public service and after public service, we understand that it’s a commission and then the Governor General signs and it goes back down those same channels.

“We just don’t know where we’re at,” she also said. “We’ve submitted these documents long before, 11 months, so from March, April, May I would say, some of our colleagues were unsuccessful to be honest. They re-sat the Nursing Council exam for the second time in April, but still haven’t gotten their stuff.

“So, it’s like someone is holding up something and nobody is being clear with us.”

One unconfirmed worker told The Tribune the only pay some nurses in this category are receiving is a monthly $950 stipend, however she claimed even these payments are sometimes not distributed on time.

Given the current high cost of living, the nurses say it is difficult to make ends meet.

“It‘s overwhelming. We have bills. We’re frustrated. We have school fees and we have a life like everyone else, so it’s very unfair. Our colleagues from (Sandilands), they got letters signed from June okay. Our colleagues in PMH, they got it from September,” the worker continued.

According to the workers, some 20 nurses are still waiting to receive the letters.