The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

DISGRUNTLED emergency medical personnel, who claim they have been “beaten and assaulted” on the job, have had their cries heard following negotiations for an industrial agreement between the Bahamas Public Services Union and the Public Hospital Authority yesterday morning.

During a “cordial meeting” held at the PHA’s corporate office, BPSU executives and PHA officials entered a five-year agreement that would in principle raise the EMS personnel’s risk allowance from $41.60 to $200 and provide for them to receive health insurance in 2015.

However, The Tribune understands the agreement has to be approved by the government.

According to PHA Managing Director Herbert Brown, the paramedics would also potentially be provided with the police presence they requested last week during a protest outside the Office of the Prime Minister.

“The union and the EMS personnel would have raised concerns about their safety when they had to respond to medical emergencies resulting from criminal activities,” he said.

“I told them that I will write to the Commissioner to request his kind support to ensure that the police, whenever the situation would require the EMS personnel to respond to violent acts that they would stay on site until they would have done their duties.

“We had a very good meeting, and all of the issues that were raised were addressed to their complete satisfaction.”

Last Friday, nearly 30 EMS personnel gathered outside the Office of the Prime Minister requesting that Prime Minister Perry Christie raise their monthly risk allowance, provide them with health insurance, and police presence while doing their duties.

Lavarda Adderley, BPSU shop steward and NEMS paramedic, said they made the demands because they were constantly “in harm’s way”.

She said the $41.60 in risk allowance was too low for persons who were “on the front line” just like police officers who have “bullet proof vests and a gun” while EMS personnel simply have “a face mask and a pen”.

According to BPSU Secretary General Stephen Miller, the increase was not what they had initially hoped for, but he was grateful for the proposed raise nonetheless.

“In negotiations you compromise,” he said. “You have to be mature enough to know the economic times that you’re working with. I think it’s impressive that we got a raise from the government as opposed to other countries in the Caribbean.

“It’s been a long time coming. They (EMS personnel) deserve it. No one in their right mind would deny them that.”

According to Mr Brown, the agreement has to be confirmed by the government before it is finalised and could not say when it would happen. He said, however, that he is “satisfied that the minister (of labour) is dealing with this matter expeditiously.”