00:00We want to send out our condolences to the nursing fraternity, especially our colleagues in Tobago, on the passing of
00:09Nurse Wendy Ann King.
00:10Nurse King was attached to the dialysis unit at Scarborough Regional Hospital.
00:18And yes, we are saddened, but we are also curious because in recent times we would have noticed that there
00:27seems to be a spike in deaths in nursing personnel attached to certain units at the Scarborough Regional Hospital.
00:39Something is deadly wrong at the Scarborough General Hospital.
00:43At least that's the concern of the Trinidad and Tobago National Nurses Association, which is raising an alarm over what
00:51it says is a worrying incidence of mortality among nurses at Scarborough General over the last two years.
00:59Particularly the dialysis unit and the mental health unit.
01:05You see those two areas, we have been receiving numerous complaints from members.
01:13We would have brought it up with the CEO and management about the constant presence of mold at the dialysis
01:23unit and the mental health unit.
01:26The CEO and his management team assured us that they are treating with it.
01:30They attempted to clean it.
01:32They brought in a company.
01:33But the pungent smell of that mold, the fumes, the spores are in the air and it is causing continuous,
01:43continuous sickness.
01:48The association laments that appeals to OSHA have fallen on deaf ears.
01:53So the OSHA agency, the TRHA and the THA, we are warning you all, we are not going to continue
02:05allowing our members to be placed at unnecessary risk in the dialysis and mental health unit.
02:13And any other institution, any other facility, any other unit, that we are seeing a high incidence of cancers, respiratory
02:25illnesses, a number of these things.
02:28And it is up for the OSHA agency to do their independent investigation.
02:33It's up to the TRHA to do annual health assessments.
02:37It's up for the TRHA to do their risk assessments.
02:41If four people are coming down with the same illness, you're telling me you are not taking additional steps to
02:47see what is going on in that area?
02:49Well, if you are refusing to do your job, the association would have to prompt you.
02:54Meantime, the association is also sending a warning to the North Central Regional Health Authority as the authority prepares to
03:02implement a four-hour shift for nurses.
03:06Apparently, those in HR don't understand how to count one and one and make two.
03:12So they are insisting on staff, nursing personnel, that they work 40 hours per week.
03:20Now, this is usual if you are working eight-hour shifts, then you work five, eight-hour shifts.
03:26But we also have 12-hour shifts in those institutions.
03:31And therefore, when persons are working permanent nights, then they end up working, let's say, three nights in one week,
03:38which is 36 hours.
03:40And then the next week, they will make it up by working four nights, which is 48 hours.
03:45At the end of the month, when you calculate, they would have completed their 160 hours, which is 40 by
03:52four.
03:53Somehow or the other, persons in North Central Regional Health Authority are unable to add one-on-one and make
04:01two.
04:01And therefore, they are saying if nurses work their three-night shift, which is 36 hours, they must come out
04:09an additional day to work four hours alone to make up the 40 hours.
04:15The association is preparing to take legal action over the proposed change in hours.
04:20Contacted for a response, NCRC Chairman Dr. Tim Gopi Singh told TV6 News that he would not be responding to,
04:29quote, repetitive false statements, end quote.
04:33Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
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