Volunteers, retired nurses to fill gap as Region 6 implements no entry rule for unvaccinated

Sep 10, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – As Region Six moves ahead to implement the system of allowing only vaccinated persons into area hospitals, dozens of nurses and a few cleaners were locked out of the New Amsterdam Hospital and Port Mourant Hospital compounds on Wednesday. Those kept outside had failed to provide a vaccination card to indicate that they have been vaccinated, or a negative PCR test.

Health care workers that were locked out Wednesday.

At the New Amsterdam Hospital, following the move to prevent the unvaccinated staff entry, some of their colleagues who have been vaccinated, and were already on duty, joined them outside in a show of solidarity. As a result, there were no nurses in the outpatient area to register incoming patients. This was also the case in the Accident and Emergency Department.
Kaieteur News was informed that persons who are seeking medical attention at the health institution will be allowed in, whether vaccinated or not. A patient who visited the hospital with a foot injury told reporters that, “one of the doctors inside of the emergency room said I have to wait, because they don’t have any nurse to do registration right now and they don’t know how long I will have to wait.” After waiting for some time, the woman left to seek medical attention privately.
Regional Chairman, David Armogan, told media operatives Wednesday that measures will be put in place, so that the gap will be filled. He said that the two hospitals will be getting volunteer medical personnel and retired nurses to fit in.
“We are getting some volunteers to come, some of the older nurses that have retired, plus we are moving around staff…to help at the New Amsterdam Hospital,” he said. Armogan further disclosed that emergency surgeries will not be done, but “we got a trickling of nurses back into the system because we are using the public health nurses and so, too, from the health centres to come and man the hospital.” Medics and doctors attached to GuySuCo are also expected to assist. He disclosed that those health workers, who are vaccinated but chose to abandon their jobs and stand in solidarity with their colleagues who were locked out “will have to answer a lot of questions.”