The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A MASS sick out by nurses coupled with ongoing shortages at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) severely affected healthcare services yesterday, leaving some patients waiting for hours and forcing others to return home.

The industrial action, involving nurses at the hospital, comes amid frustration over delayed overtime payments after the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) exhausted its budget.

Government officials have confirmed that Cabinet has approved the outstanding December payments. However, the release date remains unclear, with staff warning they will not work extra hours until the issue is resolved.

Yesterday, the PHA said disbursements are being processed and discussions will continue in good faith to address outstanding matters.

The authority added that, to expedite payments, overtime compensation is being issued through a direct payment system, as it falls outside the regular payroll cycle.

The disruption hit several hospital operations, including the A&E department, the dialysis and ICU units.

Longtime dialysis patient Marvin Johnson was among those directly affected by this week’s sick out, noting that some nurses were not showing up to work earlier in the week.

He said the situation worsened yesterday when most nurses failed to report for the 5am shift, forcing patients to wait until the staffing issues were resolved.

“A lot of the patients left, which is very dangerous, because they felt there was no sense in staying,” he said.

Mr Johnson added that nurses from Africa have been filling in during recent days, but delays persist.

He said he usually begins dialysis shortly after 8am and leaves by noon, but now finishes much later because treatment starts late.

He attributed the delays to chronic staffing shortages in the dialysis unit, saying nurses are often forced to work without aides.

He said aides are responsible for cleaning and setting up the machines and preparing patients for treatment, tasks that should be shared by two people but are now being handled by just one.

“So whatever they kick out at us, we could make noise as much as we want, but we can't leave, we gotta stay, so it’s really bad.”

“I got to stay in order to live.”

Bahamas Nurses Union (BNU) President Muriel Lightbourn could not say how many nurses were involved in the action, only that the numbers were enough to disrupt services.

She denied instructing staff to call in sick, but said she understood their frustration.

“Could you imagine you go in there and your benefits are not there and you depend on these things? I’d be sick myself,” she said.

She said the union met with the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA), noting that officials “seemed to have a plan,” but she declined to provide details until consulting with nurses.

Her comments came as some nurses even took to social media to defend the industrial action amid public criticism.

One nurse, who holds a master’s degree, said she earned just $1,300 after deductions and posted her pay slip as proof, describing the amount as “embarrassing.”

She said that after paying her bills, she was left with $476 for the rest of the month.

“One hour into payday, I was broke,” she wrote, noting that every month is a struggle.

She said she takes pride in the care she provides to patients, but added that “they don’t take pride in paying us” and called for more to be done. The nurse later clarified on social media that her annual salary is $31,000, placing her monthly pay at just over $2,500.

PHA acknowledged an increase in staff call-outs yesterday, saying it was actively managing schedules and reallocating resources to minimise disruptions across its facilities.

Meanwhile, other unions warned that long-standing staffing shortages have left the hospital system vulnerable.

Krista Burrows, president of the Bahamas Allied Healthcare Workers Union, which represents laboratory, pharmacy, ECG, X-ray, engineering and morgue staff, said her union did not engage in a sick-out, but that members have chosen not to work overtime.

She said severe staffing shortages mean several departments are operating with skeletal teams and are not functioning at full capacity.

“There's major shortage throughout the entire hospital system, so every area is short staffed and working overtime to maintain the functionality of the hospital,” she said.

She said the laboratory is among the hardest-hit areas, having lost nearly 20 staff members over the past two years due to retirements and resignations, with no replacements hired. This has been compounded by the recent death of the lab manager.

“It’s really a rough time,” she said. “I know for a fact with laboratory things is just slowed. If it was slow before, it's a little slower, okay? It's going to get done, but at a slower, much slower pace.”

Meanwhile, Ms Burrows warned that morgue staff usually work weekends and holidays as overtime, and without that coverage, “should something happen, it could be catastrophic.”

She said the situation highlights the need for a full investigation into the PHA’s management, questioning how funds budgeted for overtime were exhausted within months.

Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU) President Kimsley Ferguson, who represents clerical staff, groundsmen and janitorial workers, has also written to Prime Minister Philip Davis and other senior officials calling for an independent probe into the management and administration of overtime funds at the PHA.

In the letter, Mr Ferguson described the issue as “one of national importance” and said comments by Health Minister Dr Michael Darville that he was unaware of the situation had raised further alarm.

“Immediate, transparent, and decisive action is required to establish the facts, address outstanding obligations, restore confidence among healthcare professionals, and prevent any further disruption to the delivery of essential health services to the Bahamian public,” he wrote.