And another press conference was held today by the executive of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Workers Union on several pressing issues. To put it short - they say the hospital is on the verge of a collapse.
Back in August, hospital staff from across the country staged walk outs to protest the severe supply shortages - items like bandaging tape, gloves, Tylenol, and life saving medicine weren't available. And today, the KHMH staff says not much has changed.
That coupled with the issues of income tax as it relates to severance and their pension - or lack thereof - pushed them to try and schedule a meeting with the prime minister and Minister of Health. They've been trying since last month, but after two postponements, they have not gotten any headway. And with the Minister traveling again, this time to Taiwan, the union feels he is not prioritizing the hospital's needs. And that led them to hold a press conference today to air out those issues.
The president, Andrew Baird, explained the struggle they've been dealing with in getting the Minister to sit down with them.
But perhaps the most pressing issue is the shortage of equipment and supplies needed to save lives - including catheters, medicine, and even a CT Scan machine. You've heard nurses and doctors countrywide express how frustrating it is to go to work without basic necessities, and having to dip into their pockets to procure it for themselves. Union member and nurse, Darwin Slusher, explained some of the problems they have been having at the KHMH.
And zeroing in on the CT Scan Machine, Dr Alain Gonzalez explained that it's been about four years since they've had a working one, and that has been putting unnecessary pressure on the health staff. He explained the dangers of having to take a patient on life support and transporting them to a private facility - not to mention the cost of getting a CT Scan at the private hospitals is sometimes more than double the price at the KHMH.
