Nurses Association: Open More Nursing Posts
After Minister of Health, Michel Chebat confirmed that nurses are leaving the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, the Nurses Association of Belize responded. They say they find the Minister’s position to be disrespectful to local nurses. According to the President of the Association, Darrell Spencer, there is no shortage of Belizean nurses, what there is a shortage of, are available posts.
Darrell Spencer, President, Nurses Association of Belize
“Outsourcing Nurses is not the primary step to have been taken by the Ministry. The problem in Belize is not necessarily that we do not have, or enough nurses have not passed through Belize. The problem is that we have a problem, a big problem in retention of nurses. So, if we continue to increase the suffrage of nurses across the country, we will have to keep importing nurses. And whenever we do that, we lower our standards.”
Paul Lopez
“One can argue that that position is one for further discussion, however, it does not address the current need for nurses where vacant spaces are available.”
Darrell Spencer
Darrell Spencer
“I understand that, but I bed to differ. This is not something for further discussion. This is something that needs to be addressed today. This is something that we have been discussing for year, and the Ministry keeps dragging its foot. We have quite several nurses in country that do not have a job, because the government, the Ministry refuses to increase the available posts for nurses to be hired. That is a fact.”
Paul Lopez
“God forbid we step into another Covid-19 wave with the shortage of nurses. Perhaps it is that the Ministry of Health is already considering a contingency plan by bringing in foreign nurses to fill that gap, if the country faces another COVID-19 crisis. How can you not support such a plan?”
Darrell Spencer
“By the comments of the Minister, that is not the purpose to resolve in his contingency plan. A nurse just post in one of the chats this morning. They are basically saying, you know what, we don’t care, if you guys want to leave you can leave. We have people to substitute for you. And that is the sentiment of the nurses.”
