By NICO SCAVELLA
DISGRUNTLED emergency medical personnel have called on Prime Minister Perry Christie to increase their risk allowances by $259 and offer them health insurance after reportedly being “beaten and assaulted” on the job.
During a small protest at the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday, Bahamas Public Services Union shop steward and NEMS paramedic Lavarda Adderley, with 30 emergency medical technicians (EMTs), stressed their need to have their risk allowance of $41.60 monthly raised to $300 until they are provided with health insurance.
She said the reason for their demands was because EMTs are constantly “in harm’s way”.
“We are on the front line,” she said. “The police are there, too, but what do they have? Bullet proof vests and a gun. But what do we have – a face mask?
“A face mask and a pen? So what we’re saying is we really need insurance. We’ve been shot at, persons have threatened our lives, we’ve been beaten and assaulted,” Ms Adderley said.
“We have exhausted all of our avenues. We are concerned about our risk and the safety of our colleagues and myself out there on the job and our health insurance. We are actually on the front lines. Yes the police have guns and a bullet proof vest, but what do we have? Nothing.”
Shane Kemo, one of Ms Adderley’s colleagues, was recently assaulted while doing his job.
Shane Kemp said he was beaten last Monday by the relatives of a patient he tried to assist. He said he was escorting a patient with minor injuries to the accident and emergency department when two men pulled up to the hospital in an SUV requesting assistance for a girl who had been shot.
He proceeded to take the patient to the trauma room when the two men who had taken her to the hospital barged into the emergency room. After a heated exchange with a doctor, one of the men started fighting the doctor and the second man pounced on Mr Kemp who was standing nearby.
Before he knew it, he said, the man fighting the doctor suddenly pounced on him, too.
“I was punched, kicked, everything on the job in the line of duty,” he said. “I was trying to assist the victim, and in return they jumped me and the doctor and beat us about our bodies. We was just trying to help them and assist them, and this is the thanks we got,” Mr Kemp said.
“Something needs to be done. Health insurance; we need someone with ammunition on the job with us. I feel threatened doing my job. I came home 5 o’clock that morning to my wife drenched in blood just in trying to assist the public, and that’s the thanks I get.”
Other EMT’s, who did not want to be named gave accounts of being bitten on their chests, being shot while handling a patient, and receiving death threats. Mr Kemp suggested that police should be “stationed at the hospital at all times with firearms”. He also suggested that armed police accompany them while they did their duty.
The group did not meet with Prime Minister Christie as planned yesterday, but they met with his Under Secretary, Philip Turner. However, a second meeting has been arranged for Tuesday when BPSU Secretary General S J Miller said the union and the EMTs will have everything documented and prepared.
Comments
Tommy77 9 years, 8 months ago
Very sad news.
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SP 9 years, 8 months ago
"stressed their need to have their risk allowance of $41.60 monthly raised to $300 until they are provided with health insurance."?
What criteria, how and which idiot genius politician came up with $41.60 monthly as a risk allowance?
Thank you PLP and FNM!
Bahamianpride 9 years, 8 months ago
This is madness, give these people the $300 they request, in fact give them $600. Those are horrific conditions to work under, there should be armed gaurds at all emergency rooms & police response to back up EMT when responding to critical incidents especially considering the crime problem we have.
Greentea 9 years, 8 months ago
members of parliament need to hang out in A and E for a night on any weekend to see the goings on there. what a mad house. it would make excellent reality tv though. the fact that EMT workers don't have health insurance speaks to the many many deep issues at play in this country. the time has come to change things and if we must- one at a time. equality for women. insurance for EMTs and protection for emergency care personnel at the hospital... a good start.
John 9 years, 8 months ago
EVERYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY IS MEASURED BY MONEY! BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT HOSPITAL CHANGED THEIR SECURITY PROCEDURES W/O NOTICE SO TODAY MANY PERSONS WERE UNABLE TO VISIT THEIR LOVED ONES DUE TO THE LONG LINES CAUSED BY INCREASED SECURITY. AN INCREASE IN PAY WOULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED THE INCIDENT FROM HaPPENING but now the public has to pay! Some people only get up to the hospital once a week. NOW THEY CANNOT SEE THEIR LOVED ONES because they decide to make the public a scapegoat for the incident that happen.
John 9 years, 8 months ago
Not only are doctors and medical staff exposed to risk when attending to victims of crime and violence but so are other paitents and patrons of the hospital. Sometimes the emergency room is filled with elderly patients and children. God forbid a gunman burst in seeking revenge and spraying the place with bullets.
Sickened 9 years, 8 months ago
Good point! You know it's only a matter of time before something like that happens. And MAYBE then these incompetent successive governments we've had will do something about it. If is happens under Christie's watch then we will have to wait for a committee to be formed. This committee will be made up of him and Brave and maybe one other moron. Then they will come to some idiotic conclusion. Then they will let the people know their plan. The people will say "What is this crap you came up with". They will then say they will put 'another' committee in place to discuss it and will hire a bunch of foreigner's to make suggestions. Then the issue will die and nothing would have changed.
lucaya 9 years, 8 months ago
Just this last April, two of my relatives was shot,EMS arrived at the scene,one relative watched and listen as they(EMS) described the size of their wounds,and who was going to be transported,one of the relative ask the EMS personnel to carry them to the hospital,instead of talking over them.In the end one was transported and the other left on the scene to die,the one who was carried to A&E later told us the story and how they watched the other family member was praying,crying and begging not to die.Later, the family was called to the hospital(one time the one at A&E had to be shocked back to life)and was not expected to live,while me and other family went to the morgue to identify our love one.To make the story short,the one that survived the ordeal told us the story,and all they have is bitter memories of how the EMS responded to them on the scene.Just to be fair I guess that day,there was several scenes of shootouts(remember during the good friday week) that maybe those EMS was overwhelmed,but each person/s life should be a priority.So this is just a food for thought as to maybe one reason some people react toward EMS personals."Only he who knows it feels it"
Btw, CID was on the scene,before the EMS arrived, the scene was secured so why the wait?It's sad,people hate when we compare the USA med/police services to our medical services, in the USA they try to save lives first,then ask questions later,not CID asking questions on the scene why people lay dying,sad indeed,now lot's of anger lingers after it's all over,again sad.
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