Nurses at St Vincent de Paul Hospital have been instructed by their union to safeguard their occupational health and safety since the directorate within the Department for the Care of the Elderly was failing in this regard.

The Malta Union of Midwives & Nurses said in a statement that because of the shortage of nurses and carers in these halls, nurses had to do much more carrying of patients.

This had been going on for the past three months and the department was dragging its feet as it seemed that its first priority was the financial aspect rather than the occupational health and safety of its employees.

Although an agreement had been reached on the number of nurses there should be in the relieving pool, this was not respected. And a number of carers who successfully concluded their course three months ago had not yet been authorised to start their work.

The union called on the division to immediately take all necessary steps and measures to regularise the situation for the best possible care to patients to be guaranteed.

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