Nurses seek better award

Main Stories, National
Source:

The National, Wednesday 24th April 2013

 By ELIZABETH MIAE

NURSES at the Port Moresby General Hospital have given the hospital board two weeks to respond to their demands in a petition given to board executives yesterday. 

They warned that they would withdraw their services at the hospital if the demands were not met. 

Members of the PNG Nurses’ Association and the Community Health Workers’ Association met their union leaders yesterday to hand over their petition.

Their main demands include a change of management (at the hospital), accommodation for nurses, adopting a proposed nursing structure, the union to choose staff representative on the board and overseas recruitment of nurses be put on hold.

The document was signed by more than 500 members. including the three union leaders – Dec Issac (CHWA national president), Emi Kaptigau (PNGNA national president) and Frederick Kebai (PNGNA NCD branch president). 

Kaptigau told board chairman Sir Theophillus Constantinou that the conditions at the hospital had deteriorated, making it difficult for staff to perform their duties.

“It has affected us very much. Most of us are sick but we continue to work,” Kaptigau said.