And two hours after that interview, the KHMH staff launched a solidarity protest. Now, this was not a walkout - and only off duty nurses staged a small protest on hospital grounds.
7 News was once again on the scene to hear from young and old disgruntled nurses, and the hospital authority CEO who got taken by surprise.
Andrew Baird, President
"Our protests, it is not a walkout I must say, a walkout is something different from a protest. Today we protest in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the regional hospitals. I am aware that they have been in a meeting with the Ministry or the Ministers of government this morning. I am aware of the agreement but the agreement is only --it's addressed their overtime issue but it still has not. addressed the issue of shortage. of supplies human resource and medication. It did not address the issue of better wages. We have just come out of a pandemic here at Karl Heusner each and every one of us from the domestic up to the nurse the doctor even the clerical. staff have played their role vital role in with this pandemic. It cannot go unnoticed. We again we call on the government of Belize to come to the table workers of Karl Heusner, we need to talk about our pension. it cannot be that at the national referral hospital we take care of the Belize district patients. and also patients from the other districts and regional hospitals and they are pensionable but we are not."
Darwin Usher, RA, Accident & Emergency
"As a young nurse there is no upward mobility. What does the government have to offer me to stay here in my country to provide the care that I must provide for my nation? There is none. If we as a young nurse, I would say you know what I want to apply to do a master's degree in clinical care anaesthesia, they will overlook me as a young nurse and give it to somebody who is less deserving of that scholarship, so why should I stay in a country that faults me as a nurse?"
"Covid came, I caught covid. I almost die from covid, but I did not give up into that fight. I came out here after covid and what? sick days taken away, call in days taken away - everything taken away, but what I still have to come here and grind and work and then the public would come to us and curse us, because we cant see them on time, because there are delay in cares, but what we have to deal with criteria. Karl Heusner has a system in place for those are dying, those will receive the immediate care. So what else can we do. Listen to me, income tax is sky high 25%. How can you tell me as a healthcare worker serving the Belizean public that I owe $3,000 in tax and I don't even make that money. Listen, we just got paid today. how much of us are already broke? I done broke. You go to grocery shop, can you imagine Mr. Prime Minister, fifty cents for an egg, the basics, a pack of bread $2.00. Many nurses here have loans, their kids going to school. Unfortunately for me my kids are still swimming, but how is it that I can build a house, afford a nice vehicle. I put $100 in my gas tank just now and I barely reach half the damn thing. So I am upset, but I will never give up this fight, because I am a nurse."
Chandra Cansino, CEO, KHMH
"I really want to state for the record that there is no trade dispute between the KHMHAU and the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority. So I was a little surprised when you know I go that information that in 5 minutes time we. are going to stage a protest and so my initial concern was for the patients I wanted to make sure that if you all are going to leave your places of work, you know, we want to make sure that the patients are properly cared for. So, that is number one my concern and then number 2 in regards to the administration and I think it goes back to what I said earlier that the procurement of medication supplies is primarily a ministry of health function."
"The shortage of supplies is most definitely a challenge thankfully; we have patients that come to the hospital that some patients pay their bills and so that. is what we use to turn over the money and purchase supplies and medications where there is a gap and so we are in a better position than perhaps the regional hospital to be able to procure medications and supplies for our patients. You know we are always advertising or asking people to pay their bills and it is precisely for these reasons because it goes directly into purchasing and procuring important equipment, important supplies and. medications to ensure the safety of our patients."
"We have come a long way in relationship with the union, so I do not interpret this as a protest against the KHMHA, I interpret this as the KHMHWU in solidarity with their fellow nurses, because we just spent a couple days with the union revitalizing our management and union committees and so are really actively working to improve the relationship with the union. The board has actually given the president who sits on the Karl Huesner Memorial Board a day every week to work on the collective bargaining agreement. We want the collective bargaining agreement to move forward, we want to sign it, so I don't interpret this as the union against the management, but the union in solidarity with their fellow."
"We don't have an overtime payment problem here. We pay our overtime every single month on time. We don't have a deduction problem, so I would more interpret as them being in solidarity."
Reporter
"Circling back to the first of Marisol's question, just your reaction to the fact that this protest walkout was countrywide today."
Chandra Cansino, CEO, KHMH
"It obviously is a symptom of a chronic issue. I was actually surprised to see how many persons participated, but as I would always do look forward to the ministry of health and wellness working together with the nurse's association of Belize to try and improve these issues as quickly as they possibly can."
