The Tribune

THE Public Hospitals Authority has changed the working shift of some nurses amid the COVID-19 crisis, it confirmed yesterday.

The Bahamas Nurses Union has accused the body of unilaterally changing the shift without consultation and, according to the PHA, has told its members not to cooperate with the new shifts.

The Tribune understands about 50 nurses are now mandated to work five-on/two-off shifts, a change from the standard four-on/four-off shift. The adjusted schedule is the one the BNU vehemently protested in 2018, acquiring a strike certificate in a successful attempt to prevent the shift from taking effect.

PHA has cited the government’s emergency powers orders and declaration of a State of Emergency as justifying the shift change.

“The PHA noted that during this period of declared emergency, the government and Public Hospitals Authority will exercise emergency authority to ensure requisite staffing in all public health facilities,” PHA said.

“While the PHA recognises the industrial agreement with the BNU, our efforts to fight the current COVID-19 pandemic require a high degree of flexibility from all staff. Upon the withdrawal of the Emergency Order by the government, nursing shifts will return to the pre-pandemic schedule.”

Defending the need for a new shift system in 2018, PHA said: “(The move would) improve the delivery of healthcare to our patients and ensure better patient outcomes through better nursing coverage and reductions in nurse related accidents and errors; eliminate inequalities caused by the ‘four nights on/four nights off’ system which resulted in night duty nurses working 157 days per year on average, compared to 234 days per year on average for nurses assigned to day shifts; establish a standardised five-day, 40-hour work week with 8-hour daily shifts; and provide compensation for nurses scheduled to work between the hours of 6pm to 6am by way of a night duty premium of $1.75 per hour which would be paid in addition to their standard hourly pay.”

Yesterday, a spokesperson for the BNU declined to comment about this matter. However, The Tribune understands BNU leadership is incensed with the shift changes and says they were made weeks ago without consultation.

According to the PHA, the union issued a letter on April 11 advising its members to reject the shift changes.

Last week, the Bahamas Doctors Union raised its own concerns, claiming they have been threatened with non-contract renewal if they chose not to be a part of the COVID-19 response.

BDU leader Dr Melisande Basset further said doctors lacked proper training in putting on and removing personal protective equipment.

“In addition to these concerns, some physicians have elderly parents and family members with comorbidities,” her letter said.

“These physicians have expressed that, if possible, they will assist if they are able to sequester themselves away from home for the period where they are assisting directly with positive patients.”

On Tuesday, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said he was “flabbergasted” to learn of the alleged threats, saying this is “not something that is consistent with the Ministry of Health”.

Dr Sands said: “I can tell you that they were certainly not threatened by me and they certainly were not threatened by anybody who I have given a directive to threaten them.

“I find that principal abhorrent and it is certainly not something that is consistent with the Ministry of Health, so I’m flabbergasted by that claim and we’re investigating it.”

Other concerns highlighted by Dr Bassett are that some doctors have not received proper training in putting on and removing personal protective equipment (PPE) nor proper N-95 mask fitting.

“In addition to these concerns, some physicians have elderly parents and family members with comorbidities,” her letter continued. “These physicians have expressed that, if possible, they will assist if they are able to sequester themselves away from home for the period where they are assisting directly with positive patients.

“Since the beginning of March, the BDU has requested additional sleeping facilities to facilitate social distancing and to provide lodging for persons who wish to sequester themselves away from home. To date, the BDU has not received any official information from the minister on this. We know that this is an impediment to many wishing to volunteer.”

Dr Bassett also called for “official documentation” to back up the government’s verbal promise for “compensation and insurance benefits” for doctors or their family members, if they end up contracting the disease.

Dr Sands has said health officials are working to resolve outstanding issues.

He said Tuesday: “This is not the time for division. This is the time for us to come together and solve problems, which is not to say that we have to hold hands and sing kumbaya, but we have a nation of people that’s counting on us and we have to be there for them.”