And the union leadership verbalized what they say is a sense of frustration all across the hospital due to chronic equipment shortages and sub standard meds:
Dr. Alain Gonzalez, Union Executive
"We are frustrated in the emergency room and maybe in all the wards, because we have a shortage of supplies and the shortage of supplies has been happening for the last year and a half and so it's not about the patients are not getting the proper care from us, I think the patients are getting the proper care, but they are not getting the supplies that they need for us to give them the proper care."
Reporter
"What do you make from the explanation from the Minister Kevin Bernard in previous interviews and the CEO Mrs. Chandra Nisbet Cansino - basically they are saying there is no shortage of medicine and equipment at the KHMH."
Andrew Baird, President, KHMHWU
"Obviously, if that was the case, the plan of action mandated by our membership and staff members would not have continued."
Jules Vasquez
"But every time we talk to the minister, every time we bring it, you know they fire back - no, the problem has been solved, it was just a tendering issue and we solved it and maybe there are shipping delays. You know the CEO herself, she gave a statement where she says there are hundreds of this, thousands of that, a hundred thousand of this. So someone's lying."
Andrew Baird, President, KHMHWU
"Lies cost lives. Like yesterday and like the numbers that the CEO has sent to you guys. She stated that was as of 7th February. Our follow meeting in reference to shortages was the 24th January. So she is saying that before the 7th February there was a shortage, but come the 7th February all of a sudden because the union and the staff are agitated, you find out that supplies come."
"This is the reason why our membership is saying, we're not going to buy it. We need continuity in the supply chain. We need to see continuity. You want us to lapse our measures, then you need to ensure us that we will not go back to the same place in the next 2 weeks."
"Admittingly yesterday I believe the CEO in the Ministry of Health have agreed with us that there was an issues with Gentamicin. There was an issue with the medication batch and so yes, we are still having issues with quality."
"In our meeting yesterday, we presented some materials such as tapes, IV connections, syringes. They agree that of inferior quality and they are going to ban them from being part of the procurement purchasing."
