00:00President of the Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association, Edie Stewart, says the union will not be intimidated as it
00:07continues advocating for nurses and health care workers.
00:11Speaking on Morning Edition, Stewart claimed the association received a lawyer's letter threatening legal action over public statements made about
00:20conditions within the health care sector.
00:22They are trying to muzzle us. Imagine a government state entity, a public authority is trying to muzzle the nursing
00:33association and threatening and saying that they will take me particularly personally liable for the statements that is coming.
00:43We say bring it on. We are not afraid. It has already been adjudicated in the courts. The provisions, the
00:51same latitude the politicians have within parliament is the same latitude unions have.
00:59Stewart says the association remains prepared to continue speaking out on issues affecting nurses.
01:04He also criticized the chairman of the NCRHA, Dr. Tim Gopi Singh, warning that tensions within the authority are likely
01:12to continue.
01:14As long as Tim Gopi Singh remains in that chair, there will be continued tension throughout his entire term. I
01:26can tell you that without fear or favor.
01:28There will be continued. Because that we persons within healthcare knows Tim Gopi Singh. Persons in healthcare knows Tim Gopi
01:39Singh.
01:39We have worked with him when he was in the clinical area. We are accustomed to his actions. We are
01:44accustomed to his behavior.
01:46So we know this is what is happening is who he is.
01:50The TTNNA president further alleged that staffing shortages remain a serious issue within the NCRHA, claiming some wards are being
02:00operated by a single nurse during overnight shifts.
02:03There is one nurse, one nurse working on a ward of 23 patients, one nurse.
02:10And I challenged Tim Gopi Singh to come out and say that is not happening within the facilities of NCRHA,
02:17where one nurse is operating on a ward, on a night shift.
02:23Stewart says the association remains committed to speaking out on issues affecting healthcare workers and the patient care within the
02:30public system.
02:32He also revealed the plans are being developed for another public demonstration in Port of Spain.
02:37We are going to continue highlighting every single deficiency within the NCRHA.
02:44We are planning our next massive street protests through the streets of Port of Spain, and we will announce that
02:51shortly.
02:52Charlotte Kistel, TV6 News.
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