Frustrated at not being paid hazard allowance since November 2022, several nurses in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) did not report for duty on Thursday.
However, the hospital said it was not aware of that being the reason for some workers calling in sick and it had implemented a contingency plan to ensure patients received adequate care.
Several nurses had reached out to Barbados TODAY saying they felt disrespected that they had not received their money and they had received no word on when they would eventually get it.
“The nurses in A&E were supposed to get their hazard pay for the few months dating back to October 2022. We heard through the grapevine that it was coming this month but we only got paid for October,” one of them said.
“Some nurses didn’t receive anything. The doctors got their hazard allowance in full as well as the Ambulance Service. It usually works out to be around $50 per day and we want to know why we haven’t gotten our money.”
The healthcare worker said they were being given the run around and could not get answers when they made enquiries.
Another nurse said there needed to be better communication.
“We are feeling angry and frustrated because no one communicated with us and said anything. Communication is important. Someone could have explained that we would only be paid for one month and then the allowance for the other months would follow . . . . This is a slap in our face; we feel disrespected. This is affecting the entire department – about 50 nurses.”
Barbados TODAY understands that about 11 nurses scheduled to work the 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift did not report for duty on Thursday. The 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. shift was also impacted and reports suggested that the 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. would be as well.
When contacted, general secretary of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) Richard Green said the union was aware of the situation and was investigating the issue further.
Acting on behalf of the hospital’s communication team, Dr Rhea Corbin-Harte said that only nine nurses attached to the Accident and Emergency Department reported feeling unwell and unable to report for duty.
“The hospital administration executed an immediate contingency plan of reallocating shifts to ensure that the Accident and Emergency Department continued to provide the best possible patient care. At this time, no formal report of another reason for this call-in has come to our attention. As an institution committed to the well-being of our staff, we have started to investigate the third-party reports on the matter. The hospital wishes all staff feeling unwell a speedy recovery,” she said in a statement.
(SZB)
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