Nurses' action "a success"

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) said today that its directive for nurses to refuse non-nursing duties is being followed by all its members.

The directive came into force this morning as the union presses the government to engage more nurses in view of a staff shortage.

MUMN president Paul Pace said the union had been careful to emsure that its directive did not affect patient care and as a result there were no unusual queues or delays.

He said that the only service which has been stopped and which could have affected some people was 'bloodletting' in health centres.

Mr Pace said nurses who work in the operating theatres, the Emergency Department, the Intensive Therapy Unit and the Renal Unit have been exempt from the directive.

"We are not asking for more money but for more staff in order to give patients a better service. At Mater Dei there is a shortage of 187 nurses and some nurses at Mount Carmel Hospital work an 80-hour week," he complained.

This problem, he said, was growing because a number of nurses were opting to work abroad because of better working codnitions and opportunities.