Nurses blame authorities

By GLORIA BAUAI
NURSES in Lae are blaming their authorities for the lack of control over the Coronavirus (Covid-19) situation, especially on its education and awareness in the province.
Nurses’ Union Mamose president Siling Awasa expressed concerns after a team of nurses and support staff from the West Taraka health centre were attacked on Friday.
According to social mobilisers Andrew Apisai and Jeffrey Lalio, they had done awareness in the community earlier, informing them that a health team was coming to carry out the routine baby immunisation.
Apisai and Lalio said the team was initially threatened but they continued with the morning round.
They said at around 11am, a man, believed to be drunk, attacked the nurses and when Apisai and Lalio intervened, they were attacked as well.
“He threw stones, bottles and sticks at us, broke our equipment, including our tables, a loud hailer and the vaccines,” Apisai said.
Lalio said the community did not help because of a misunderstanding that the routine immunisation was a Covid-19 vaccination programme.
Awasa demanded that the authorities come down hard on the perpetrator.
“What has happened is a matter of life and death – nurses were stoned, vaccines meant for babies destroyed,” she said.
“These vaccines cost a lot of money; and the lives of our nurses are at stake now with security issues surrounding this vaccination.”
Awasa said the union was concerned with the safety of its nurses and was committed to delivering important health care services.
She said the attack also came as the nurses’ union called on Morobe health authority chief executive officer Dr Kipas Binga to provide support to nurses as they worked on the frontline to treat those impacted by the virus.
“The pandemic has been here for two years now and most of the time, it’s been the nurses on their own at the frontline despite the many challenges such as lack of personal protective equipment,” she said.
“We want to see the best; we need our authorities to take charge of the situation in Morobe (including) the law and order and social issues.”