Unions, hospital in talks over 'dangerous' situation

Three unions yesterday met the director general for health and Mount Carmel Hospital's management to discuss what they describe as the "alarming" and "dangerous" situation at the hospital.

Hospital sources said a major concern highlighted during the one-hour meeting was the mix of patients and illegal immigrants in the male acute admission ward.

The illegal immigrants rioted on Monday and the 12 immigrants who were accommodated in this ward have now been transferred to single rooms in female ward 10, which was closed for two years due to refurbishing works. They are being kept under police watch.

During the riot, the police special assignment group had to be called in to control the immigrants, who smashed the door, broke windows and threw objects. They had also sharpened telephone cards on a piece of stone or wood, which they used as razors.

The three unions - the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, the General Workers' Union and the Union Haddiema Maghqudin - yesterday made it clear to the authorities they would not tolerate their members being threatened.

The unions also insisted they would be taking the necessary action to safeguard the workers' rights.

A serious question the unions raised was why had the illegal immigrants been placed at Mount Carmel when according to hospital consultants all of them, bar one, "required police surveillance and not nursing supervision".

"Our big question now is how long these illegal immigrants will remain at this hospital. Big problems will arise if they remain and the nurses have to safeguard the patients' interests. We understand the aggravation of the illegal immigrants but the nurses and patients cannot live in fear," the sources said.

Also on yesterday's agenda was the pressing matter of the shortage of nurses and nursing aides in all wards.

In a statement drawn up by the three unions it was agreed that:

¤ the health division would immediately issue applications for 10 male nurses and an unspecified number of nursing aides to be transferred to Mount Carmel Hospital;

¤ with regard to overtime, the first preference was to establish the number of employees in the ward, followed by the need for individual supervision;

¤ the director general for health would recommend to the policy board that a number of people should be recruited to follow the nursing aides course. No recruitment for this course has taken place for two years.

Staff shortage at the hospital has long been a bone of contention. The unions recently ordered industrial action because they felt the deployment exercise agreement of 2001 was not being respected. The directives, which were followed by about 300 nurses and nursing aides for two weeks, were lifted after the director general for health agreed to meet the unions.