Nurses have a right to complain: Union

National

By LULU MARK
NURSES have a right to raise their concern about their safety and work environment and should be supported, an official says.
PNG Nurses Association president Frederick Kebai was responding to reports that some members who had complained publicly about their working conditions had been threatened with disciplinary action by health authorities.
Kebai said nurses at the Port Moresby General Hospital were threatened with disciplinary action.
“Nurses have rights under the law (to complain). They have familiesto look after,” he said.
“If nurses are not reporting to work because of lack of PPE, they must not be threatened. It is their responsibility to (tell) the Department of Health to ensure that PPEs are made readily available.”
Hospital chief executive officer Dr Paki Molumi said nurses were an important part of frontline health workers and the hospital would protect them.
“Like all health workers, they are at risk of the Covid-19,” he said.
“To ensure the safety of the health workers, the PMGH has a system in place with the assistance of relevant authorities like WHO to carry out risk assessments of those exposed.
“If someone is high-risk, the PMGH organises accommodation for quarantine with all necessary needs.
“We have a counselling and training service in place.
“PMGH has adequate PPE and well supported by Health Department to protect our staff.
“If a few nurses do not want to part take in the process management we have set up, and run to their union for answers, we will assume they refuse to work.”

One thought on “Nurses have a right to complain: Union

  • Nurses remuneration packages should be reviewed and rewarded. Nurses do the hard yards without equivalent compensation. They are the ones that serves as the legs and hands of the doctors.

    A responsible government Hospital who truly cares should review their packages and renumerate them accordingly.

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