The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

Princess Margaret Hospital nurses, frustrated over “poor” working conditions at the facility, considered walking off the job on Wednesday.

Bahamas Nurses Union (BNU) president Muriel Lightbourn told The Tribune nurses are struggling from overcrowding, staff shortages and other conditions that have persisted for too long.

She said nurses are exhausted and fed up.

“They was saying that because of their working conditions, they were contemplating walking off the job, so I went to speak with the nurses and they have a lot of concerns,” she said. “At Accident and Emergency right now, it’s overcrowding. You have almost 60 patients waiting to find a bed in the hospital and who knows when you triple that with gunshot wounds, stab wounds and you have people coming in with stroke and heat exhaustion.”

 “Like one of the nurses says, Ms Lightbourn, I don’t even have to go outside to get heat exhaustion, I get it right in here, that’s how hot it is.

 “The air conditioners are not working. They are short staffed and you have persons not wanting to show up for overtime. If people ain’t wanting to come to work for overtime, that could tell you how bad it is.”

Ms Lightbourn chided the government for spending money on splashy independence anniversary events rather than invest in improved conditions and services in critical areas.

“Renovations been happening before the COVID, and you still renovating, yet our government could afford to have a big party,” she said.

 “Now, if you having a party at your house –– I still referring to the road to 50 –– you gon’ make sure everything intact right, so why your hospital still break down? Tell me why you can’t have adequate staff. Something is wrong.

 “Even after Independence Day, we still celebrating. We going around having Goombay in all these Family Islands and your hospital broke down.”

 In addition to poor working conditions, nurses also sometimes face difficult patients “who curse at them”.

 “They’re frustrated, but if push comes to shove, we got to do something,” Ms Lightbourn said.

 However, she could not say what the union would do to get their concerns addressed.

 Yesterday, Health Minister Dr Michael Darville said PMH renovations are ongoing.

 “The hospital renovations will be ongoing for at least another year,” he said. “We are moving to renovate the eye ward and theatre and have done other areas to improve the structural challenges and working conditions for medical staff and patients.”