Updated: Ministry ready for talks if MUMN stops industrial action
The Ministry of Health said this evening that it was ready to hold talks with the MUMN when it withdrew industrial action which ‘hurt’ patients.
The ministry was reacting to a press conference held by the nurses’ union this morning.
It again condemned the industrial action while expressing appreciation for the work done by nurses.
“The government cannot understand how the union, instead of cooperating to improve the situation, through the engagement of foreign nurses and the training of more students, is instead issuing directives which only serve to hurt the patients and their families while giving a bad name to the nursing profession.”
In their press conference this morning, MUMN officials denied that their directives undermined patient safety and said that it was the government’s failure to solve the problem of the acute shortage of nurses which harmed patients.
The union has called industrial action at health centres, the Renal Unit and at Mt Carmel, where nurses have been directed not to collect medicines for the wards from the hospital pharmacy.
Union president Paul Pace insisted that the directives issued to the nurses were not illegal, and he hit out at the Health Department, which, he said, was asking nurses to sign declarations that they would continue to provide essential services. Such declarations, he said, should be ignored, more so since no definition was being given of what constituted an essential service.
Not inputting information into a computer and not carrying medicines from the stores did not mean that essential services were not being maintained, he said.
He also insisted that patients were never deprived of medicines and the government was wrong to claim that patients' lives were endangered.
Mr Pace said Malta had a shortage of 550 nurses and some nurses even raked up overtime of 80 hours per week.
"Malta needs to invest now in nursing education," he said. The intake of students in courses was inadequate and needed to be raised, he stressed.
Mr Pace said that the MUMN was being backed by the European Federation of Nurses in its dispute. While the Health Ministry was seeking to recruit nurses from Pakistan, this had been described by the European federation as "not an ethical, professional, economic and political solution."
He said other issues also needed to be resolved, even at Mater Dei Hospital, including the shortage of beds and the mixing of medical and surgical patients.
At Mt Carmel, he said, the government also needed to tackle a bed shortage and security, especially when patients were aggressive.
He also insisted that the government needed to install a back-up generator at Mt Carmel, rather than waste money, as it did when it held the Worker of the Year award at the hospital.
He said that nurses had been directed to place all ward gas lamps in front of the office of the hospital CEO, and to walk out of the wards if there was a power failure.
The nurses, he said, were not maintenance staff, and they were also not porters, who should be the ones delivering medicines to the wards.
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Jeremy J Camilleri
Sep 14th 2010, 10:41
I guess that the fact that the Ministry is ready to open discussions proves that the directives were never illegal;
Franco Farrugia
Sep 14th 2010, 08:53
Lil dawk kollha li qed jiktbu kontra n-nurses: oqghodu attenti x'qedin tghidu: Hadd u hadd ma jista' jiehu post in-nurses hdejn is-sodod tal-pazjenti li tkunu fihom intom u qrabatkom. Toqghodux minghalikom bl-anonimat, tiktbu kontra n-nurses u tippuppaw sidirkom! Jekk tridu li l-Gvern jehodha qatta bla habel kontra taghhom, minn fejn se jgib in-nurses biex ikecci lill-Maltin? Hekk tridu intom? Li hdejn is-sodod ikun hemm nurses li ma jistghux jikkomunikaw maghkom? U intom veru haddiema Maltin, biex qedin tant tiktbu kontra haddiema hutkom? Mela issa, mal-ghalliema, nistghu nghoddu wkoll lin-nurses bhala dawk il-professjonijiet l-inqas stmati fil-pajjiz. Juri f'liema livell ta' edukazzjoni ninsabu!
r.cutajar
Sep 14th 2010, 05:04
??? No Back Up Generator at a National run Hospital ?????
Is the govt of the day expecting some group of volunteers to organise a good cause and collect the funds needed to afford such an intrisic part and parcel piece of equipment which pertains to a Hospital ??
Sorry but health minister--------- PLEASE HAND IN YOUR RESIGNATION--------- now
P S- How many times if ever are staff in hospital wards are given training for any eventual fire scenarios ?? .Please take note of this --discussing only in a class will not present any thing near the real thing !
galea johanna
Sep 14th 2010, 02:15
WELL DONE MUMN! I rrid nghid grazzi kbira lil colin galea u lil paul pace li nsibuhom dejjem lesti li jghinuna .
M.Farrugia
Sep 14th 2010, 00:29
sur pace inti qieghd tghid li n-nurses mhux porters, li kieku dan il-kliem ghidu fi zmien meta mintoff kien fil-gvern, meta kien hemm ukoll lock out, ma nafx fejn kont tispicca. Mintoff lil iskrivani riedhom jikinsu l-ufficini, Fi zmien mintoff uffficjali f'kariga gholja hafna fis-servizz civili ghax ghamlu strike baghthom go barriera jirrekordjaw trakkijiet diehla u hirga. Xi hadd ghamel hekk lin-nurses. mela inkunu aktar umani u ghal gid tal-pazjenti naraw kif se insolvu din il-kwistjoni. L-attitudni li qed tiehu l-UNion hemm min jiehu gost biha u daqstant iehor hemm min qieghed jistmerrija.
K. Bartolo
Sep 13th 2010, 23:56
We need a good cleanup at our new hospital to rout out all the bad apples! The only person to do something about this was Mintoff, even if in the extreme! In the end the citizen got a better service from the foreign doctors.
Eventually the goverment will be forced to fork out more money, increase our taxes and give them more power to strike back again.
Any goverment that puts a stop to this racket will get my support till my last breath!
Maria Attard
Sep 13th 2010, 20:34
who said we are asking for higher wages!! we are just asking for a better environment and more staff so that we can be more professional towards our patients...moreover who said that with our industrial actions we are endangering patients life is totally wrong, we still take urgent bloods like ppl who are on warfarin and even if these same ppl have routine blood tests ordered we do take them as we aren't cold blooded and never intend to inject them twice...we still do change of dressings, nebulisers, other emergencies that come over at our health centre and we still go out on ambulance calls so i can't see were we are harming the patients!!!! i am very proud of being a nurse as though i'll be dead tired after a day at work it does give me a great satisfaction as i managed to help a person who was in danger of life or managed to heal his wound or at least make him smile...at the end we are not jack of all trades!!!!
GiovDeMartino@ A BUsuttil
Sep 13th 2010, 20:30
TAHRABX SUR BUSUTTIL: Jien haw taht iffirmat niddikjara li MHUX se nobdi l-ordnijiet tal-MUT u nibqa' naghmel ix-xoghol tieghi regolari. Dik ic-cirkolari infami ghadha ghandi U li kien jigi lura l-perit kemm jitrabba ghaqal. See you Mr. busuttil.
Joesph Scerri
Sep 13th 2010, 21:56
F' 1977 that il-gvern ta Mintoff konna ircevejna dikjarazzjoni mahruga mic-CGMO biex niffermawha ghax konna qed nobdu direttiva mill-MALTA UNION OF NURSES fuq 'partial industrial actions' , li jew naghmlu ix-xoghol KOLLU minghajr dawn id-direttivi jew nigu INKECCIJA. Wara dan kollu l-MUN ordnat STRIKE ta 3 ijiem li kien SUCCESS. Din id-dikjarazzjoni ghada ghandi ghax NEMMEN fid-DRITT tal-haddiem li jiehu sehem u jobdu direttivi tal-union taghhom.
Jesmond Abela
Sep 13th 2010, 19:30
Mr Pace said Malta had a shortage of 550 nurses and some nurses even raked up overtime of 80 hours per week. i cannot see the point in this , As far as i am concerned overtime is not compulsary..... if they do 80 hours (overtime) per week is a hell of a lot of money extra in their pocket. Over time is not forced to do it
A.Busuttil
Sep 13th 2010, 19:11
Dear Bloogers, why dont you register to go as a volountier , Especially you Mr De Martino. just try it. Nurses are not Teachers. If MUNN keeps strong they will get a good agreement same as the teachers
Ray Buhagiar
Sep 13th 2010, 18:30
Start another Nursing Degree Course at MCAST.
T Camilleri
Sep 13th 2010, 19:09
Ray Buhagiar fully agree. That should put an end to the elitist university and its profs.
C.Cutajar
Sep 13th 2010, 19:51
And where would one find the patients required to train upon? This is the real problem - around 160 students per year is the limit to keep up the quality
Ray Buhagiar
Sep 13th 2010, 20:42
In hospitals where else? If clinical practice is staggered than there will be enough room for hands on experience. Another alternative is to send student nurses abroad (italy, UK, cyprus, Greece) to do their clinical practice. 6 months per year is ideal. I heard that radiography students will be sent to UK to practice in oncology departments. It seems that the University of Malta need to reinvent their educational programmes.
Jane Galea
Sep 13th 2010, 21:30
Are you joking C.Cutajar? How come Mater Dei with all that fancy buildings and so many patients that they do not even have enough beds and patients have to wait for a bed to become available you say there are not enough patients? And why have such big useless areas when there are not enough beds? Why not convert some areas into wards? Why are corridors so long? Why do you have to go from one waiting area to another waiting area before you are seen to? Total disorganization like the rest of the government.
Joseph E Briffa
Sep 13th 2010, 18:04
Nursing is a very taxing and responsible job...it is also a vocation and a nurse has to have love for patients. From my experience at Mater Dei I can vouch for the dedication of nurses to their work. I can also understand that shortage of staff brings about an extra load of work for nurses as well as periods of frustration. .. It is also a fact that part of the problem of this shortage is bad planning on the part of the Health authorities. However it seems that now the problem is being tackled and we are told that some 250 nurses are in the process of being recruited. This is indeed welcome news, though the number falls short of MUMN's requirements. So it's strange that MUMN are taking these measures at a time when the situation is bound to improve substantially very shortly.. Another thing that beats me is how these directives can help to solve the problem. Shortage of nurses is no new phenomenon, neither is it unique to Malta. So I fail to understand MUMNs behaviour. MUMN must keep in mind that the welfare of patients comes first and takes priority over everything else.
Steve Borg
Sep 13th 2010, 17:39
This union has biggest the biggest joke since one trade union once infamously decided to shut down our airport in the midst of summer. Talk about irresponsible trade unionism. Mr Pace is certainly doing his utmost to get his five minutes of fame. Grow up.
MBorg
Sep 13th 2010, 17:20
1st. Directive - Not to collect medicines from stores. 2nd. Directive - To walk out of wards if there is a power failure 3rd .Directive - To be announced later in the next episode. What a farce ! It would be funny if it were not for the patients. As things stand this dispute is just a sick joke.
GiovDEMartino@ Hon Minister
Sep 13th 2010, 16:46
Hon Ministru jekk ma tinzax il-glekk u xxammar se jehdulek il-qalziet! Hemm limitu ghal kollox anki ghad-demokrazija.
M.Bezzina
Sep 13th 2010, 16:55
Min jaf kemm kont taghmel hekk 30sena ilu.....sur giovann!!
M.Bezzina
Sep 13th 2010, 17:11
Jidher bic car li meta jkun hemm xi haga hekk ghadejja kontra l ghagir zbaljat tal gvern minflok tifhem is sitwazzjoni ghalfejn qeda issir dil kwistjoni dejjem izomm mal gvern (ghal ragunijiet ovvji mhemmx ghalfejn nghidu)...l ebda union ma tista tipprotesta bik ghax kollox harir miexi!!
Franco Farrugia
Sep 13th 2010, 19:05
Int, fost kulhadd, tigi titkellem hekk?? INT? Min jaf kontx tghid hekk meta Mintoff u KMB kienu fil-Gvern?
M. Fenech
Sep 13th 2010, 19:45
Mela nsejt kemm kont u ghadek tghid kontra Mintoff u KMB? Issa trid lil haddiehor jimxi bhalhom? Ma nafx x'tip ta' persuna tissejjah int! L'ipokersija li ghandek hija sfaccata u kbira wisq.
diana cottis
Sep 13th 2010, 16:30
I am absolutely astonished and appalled that a hospital has NO backup generator in this day and age. Even worse, some comment writers find this acceptable. And much, much worse even the government apparently thinks this is ok for staff and patients. What century are we living in?
Sue Borg
Sep 13th 2010, 16:16
@ G.Pisani.
Oh my God how those blinded by political motives render themselves so stupid in their comments and you for one certainly take the biscuit.
Kindly note that when going for medicine away from the ward with a staff compliment at an emergency level you are putting patients at risk. Contrary to what you may have been leed to believe it is a standard practice in the EU that non nurses get the treatment from pharmacy. It is the pharmacist’s responsibility to deliver the correct drugs for dispatch. The nurses will then check it at the ward and not in the middle of the corridor as is now.
As for gas lamps, can you imagine a gas lamp being used in a ward setting with all the Oxygen being administered? Can you truly suggest that with all the money spent on festivities we cannot afford a generator for a hospital? Is it not a legal requirement to have a generator as backup in a hospital setting?
Can you point out where you read that all this is for higher wages because I cannot find any notion of the sort?
Sue Borg
Sep 13th 2010, 16:16
@ J Farrugia.
I suggest that you read properly what the issue is and do not look at it through a political lens. Nurses are being constantly subjected to do work outside their job description which takes them outside their respective wards. All over the world this work is carried out by others outside the nursing profession. The situation is more so compounded with the “engineered nursing shortage”. Some years back it was an official statement by the Health authorities stating that the nursing compliment was then complete, followed by a substantial reduction in student stipend and numerous clauses on the nursing course. This resulted in yearly intake of less than 50 students from circa 200 as was at the end of the 1990’s.
The service you and I are getting is at the cost of having Nurses working up to 60 hours plus a week ( against WHO recommendations)to cover the vacant posts, increased services and vacation/sick leave cover. Yet if one makes a mistake he or she are crucified and hung out to dry. MUMN directives are not political but are a consequence of the Nursing community who have had enough.
c. camilleri
Sep 13th 2010, 15:44
We are paying our nurses for these acts of comedies. It is about time for the Govt to wake up and stand for our rights and stop their payments.. But Govt employees are a privileged breed and unlike those in the private sector they can go on doing nothing and get their full pay.. Where in the world do these funny things happen.
Paul Debattista
Sep 13th 2010, 17:50
c. camilleri in-nurses qed jaghmlu biss xogholhom u mhux xoghol li suppost isir min haddiehor. Imissek tisthi titkellem kontra l-haddiema ghax in-nurses ukoll huma haddiema. Imma din nistenniha minghandek u minn dawk l-apologisti tal-PN ghax il-PN qatt ma kien partit tal-haddiema.
Klaus Pedersen
Sep 13th 2010, 15:08
This morning, I couldn't get to work because the door was closed - and I am not a door-man. Oh, do grow up !
M. A. Camilleri
Sep 13th 2010, 17:34
I am a nurse and I do open doors and tell people to leave the ward when visitors' time is over and I am not a security. The problem is that by doing non nursing jobs I am waisting time that should be dedicated to my patients. It is not the fact that go for medicines, I've been doing it for a lot of time. the problem is that to go and get the medicine I will need to leave from the ward for 30 minutes (since my ward is on the other side of the hospital) leaving a colleague alone in the ward (because sometimes we are left two nurses only on the ward). Immagine if someone of your relatives need some immediate attention like (god forbid) a CPR tell me what a nurse alone could do while I am doing errands. So grown up man tell me what we should do. Who needs to grow up Mr. Pedersen. By the way why don't you clean the floor when arriving to work since you're there!!
a.dalli
Sep 13th 2010, 14:51
Can a government impose /restrict nurses and other health related staff members from performing work with private clinics?
Private clinics pay more per hour than the overtime rate working for the state. That is where one of the problems lies. It has already become a handicap trying to speak in Maltese at many restaurants, carried forward to the health section is not ethical. Or is it government's intention to employ interpreters.
d. borg
Sep 13th 2010, 14:41
U mhux hekk, u hallu l-pazjenti jghaffgu wahedhom fid-dlam. X'irresponsabilta!
Gharukaza!
Joseph Borg
Sep 13th 2010, 14:16
Jiena infermier li illum il gurnata niringrazzja lill hanin Alla ma ghadnix nahdem mal gvern imma nahdem mal privat.
Pero min qalbi nixtieq nghid grazzi min qalbi lill dawk kollha li qed tapprezzaw xogholna!!! Grazzi talli qed tipretendu li barra XOGHLNA ta infermiera triduna nkunu il bidilli tal isptar kif ukoll il maintenance persons tal isptar.
Grazzi talli qed taprezzaw is sighat twal li nahdmu, iljieli, hdud, festi, milied etc il boghod mil familji taghna biex induru mal morda hutna maltin.
Grazzi talli qed taprezzaw kemm ta kuljum l infermier ihabbat wiccu mal mard kollu li jezisti biex ikun jista jwettaq il vokazzjoni tieghu hafna drabi minghajr l godda mehtiega ghax tlett kwarti tal affarijiet li nuzaw ta kuljum huma out of stock..
Grazzi tal aprezzament li qed turu mainfermiera li wahedhom jippruvaw ilahqu ma 10pazjenti.
Grazzi talli qed tipretendu li barra infermiera issa nibdew naghmlu wkoll il mirakli u tasruna aktar milli diga ghasartuna.
Illum nirringrazja l Alla li qieghed mal privat ghax hemm naghmel BISS xoghli ta infermier u mhux ta bidillu. Nirringrazzja l Alla li jekk ikolli problema inmur nitkellem u jisimawni u wara kollox minhix meqjus bhala numru imma bhala infermier!
Grazzi min qalbi!
M.Bezzina
Sep 13th 2010, 16:42
Well done Joe nice comment!!
Michael Cassar
Sep 13th 2010, 17:26
Tahdem Hdud u Festi bil-paga tripla? Taghmel xoghol ta' skrivan, ghalkemm m'intix skrivan? Nirringrazzjak minn qalbi, izda m'intix ser tarani b'ghajnejk, tinsab f'liema klinika jew sptar privat li trid! Qed turi kemm vereament l-infermier gewwa fik m'hijiex tassew VOKAZZJONI!
Joseph Borg
Sep 13th 2010, 17:59
Ghaziz SurCassar.Just for the info...mal privat ma tithallasx triplu la hdud u anqas festi imma wahda u nofs ax is sistema hija kompletament differenti. xoghol ta skrivan ma naghmlux ghax mhux parti min xoghol tal infermier pero naghmel xoghol ta dokumentazzjoni rigward il pazjent ghax dak hu parti min xoghli, nahsel il pazjent, ndewillu il feriti, nehodlu id-demm, naghtieh il medicini, naghmillu kelma ta kuragg,nassisti li tabib,nghinu jiekol, nassistieh wara xi operazjoni, niccekja li kollox sejjer tajjeb bhal pressjoni ,polz, temperatura, zokkor u hafna aktar u dak huwa diga bizzejjed biex nurik kemm fil fatt IVA ghandi vokazzjoni, kburi bijha u kuntent li nista naghmel xi haga biex nara lil haddiehor ahjar. Ibqa zgur habib...li kieku ma kellix vokazzjoni kieku milnix infermier ghal dawn l ahhar 14il sena. Jiena dejjem mort ghal xoghli biex naqdi u naghti sehemi ghal kura tal pazjenti li ltqajt maghhom. Tant ghandi vokazzjoni li meta tlaqt min mal gvern irrinunzjajt ghal hafna beneficcji ghax l ewwel interess tieghi huwa li nkun infermier u mhux numru bhal ma kont ghax jiena ghalhekk stinkajt u studjajt. Ma ghandek l ebda dritt tigudikani.Int min int biex lili tghidli dan?
Andrew Gatt
Sep 13th 2010, 14:03
Hey! Waittaminute! What's written on the background behind their president.....looks like
"MUMN - Hidma kontinwa ghall-pazjent u l-"
Way to go, MUMN! Patients....they're only bargaining chips, after all.
M. Grima
Sep 13th 2010, 13:12
With all due respect I cannot take it anymore! Reading these articles really makes me angry. Why does MUMN resort to these tactics?? Its not like the shortage is going to be miraculously solved by extra nurses popping around here and there no? Employing foreign nurses is also not the right way forward when we have so many student nurses studying
Why is it that so many students fail or drop out? Why does it take so long for fresh nurse graduates to get assigned to wards or get the official appointment date? Isn't this the source of the problem?
But then again no one tackles it. I wonder why! Maybe there are personal and political interests in play that rather be ignored rather than be bought into the limelight.
When will Malta ever change. . .
JOe VELLa
Sep 13th 2010, 13:01
Can someone define what is the duty of a nurse in a government hospital and a same nurse in a private hospital?
J. Schembri
Sep 13th 2010, 12:55
@ M. Borg & G. Pisani - How about telling Govt to install a suitable generator at Mount Carmel Hospital? Mela baqa' zmien ghall-lampi tal-gass !!
C.Camilleri
Sep 13th 2010, 12:54
To certain people the patients are always the victims depending on which union is calling the industrial actions. I clearly remember the doctors strike, and all those who are now crying foul remain silent and approved those actions, addio pazjenti in those days ghax hekk kien jaqbel.
A. Zahra
Sep 13th 2010, 16:22
It was not a doctors' strike, but a government lockout. Do you not remember Minister Danny Cremona at the gates of st. Lukes. I do. I was there and I heard his shouting at the doctors.
Brian Maloret
Sep 13th 2010, 12:36
Although I am in full agreement with the rights of workers such as nurses nothing in this article informs me about what would happen to the patients at the hospital if the nurses walked out; patients have rights also.
J Farrugia
Sep 13th 2010, 12:34
This union wants the impossible. It is asking too much and these claims have nothing to do with nurses' duties. These actions are bound to have serious repercussions on the members of this union themselves. This is nothing but a politically motivated union.
Joe Zammit
Sep 13th 2010, 17:43
J Farrugia since when is asking for a generator and sufficient nurses too much? You are well-known for your stance even against the bridge or whatever is necessary for people to safely cross the Qormi-St Vennera bypass. How low can you go to defend your indefensible government led by the incompetent Dr Gonzi?
G Falzon
Sep 13th 2010, 12:32
The service nurses are giving in Government hospitals and centres leaves much to be desired! A cursory observant visit to any of these localities would instantly confirm a myriad shortfalls.
R. Caruana
Sep 13th 2010, 12:29
How utterly irresponsible. Shame on this so-called union.
Are these the followers of "THE LADY OF THE LAMP"??
Shame on you once again.
A.Saliba
Sep 13th 2010, 14:49
This is 2010 Malta for your information. It is a SHAME that we don't afford a generator in a Mental Hospital. A SHAME I repeat!
Brian Schembri
Sep 13th 2010, 12:28
There should be dedicated porters to get medicines from stores and not nurses who by going to the stores have to leave their work placement further reducing staff in wards. Everyone has a job description which should be adhered to.
@M. borg - With regards to flexibility of nurses it seems that you have no idea what a nursing job entails.
S. Fenech
Sep 13th 2010, 14:11
Mr. Schembri, do you know what the flexibility of people employed in any private enterprise in Malta and globally entails?
Nurses have all my respect, as when I needed their help most of them were always there to give a hand, sometimes two and where even that was not enough they did all they can to help (either me or members of my family). However, the tactics being used by the MUMN will soon backfire, as most patients will direct their frustration towards the nurses themselves.
So much for a union that is trying to "protect" the interests of its members.
M Borg
Sep 13th 2010, 14:24
so just because there isn't a generator u strike??come onn! And what's soo wrong in putting on a lamp on the one off occassion that the electricty goes off? (issa don't start with the enemalta problems pls!)
M Borg
Sep 13th 2010, 14:27
I am fully aware of the works being carried out by the nurses (I have relatives in the profession)...and I totally respect and admire their vocation!..but excuses to strike just because there isn't a generator only put the profession in a bad impression!
From such strike the only persons suffering are the patients and the junior doctors that are replacing their work
Joe Gauci
Sep 13th 2010, 17:40
M Borg it is nurses and patients who suffer from the lack of a generator. Who would believe that in the 21st century we have a hospital that does not have a stand-by generator when the government burns away our tax money?
Franco Farrugia
Sep 13th 2010, 12:25
It seems that Messers Borg and Pisani are not nurses.
M Pisani
Sep 13th 2010, 13:20
SO ARE YOU NOT A NURSE - YOU ARE JUST USING THESE ARGUMENTS JUST IN CASE ANOTHER ARTICLE REGARDING teachers APPEARS!! THAT WAY YOU CAN JUST USE THE SAME ARGUMENTS FOR TEACHERS...WHO WORK 8 MONTHS PER YEAR AND EXPECT A SUPER WAGE (PLUS PRIVATE LESSONS!!!!)
N.Farrugia
Sep 13th 2010, 12:24
Although I agree with any union's stand in favour of its members, I think that the present dispute is running out of hand and surely the patients are the victims. Mr. Pace should have some consideration for the inmates too. He seems to be increasing complaints that are leading the dispute to increase. Some common sense please!!
M Borg
Sep 13th 2010, 12:17
Utterly ridiculous actions by the union! You wish such actions were tolerated in the private sector where flexibility is key! Just stop grumbling and get back to work!
M. A. Camilleri
Sep 13th 2010, 13:54
@ M. Borg
How childish is your argument. Why don't you come to hospital and spend a day in my ward and you will know if we are working or not. If presently I am doing a work that three nurses should do, don't you think we are working. Do some maths please. Why don't you tell us what's your work to see who is the lazy person. If the government accepts the fact that there is a shortage of 500 nurses, whom do you think is doing their work. YOU!!!!! So shut up and think before writing here. A 5 year old child will come forward with more responsible arguments
r. cutajar
Sep 13th 2010, 14:00
Sir if you are not convinced, go and spend a 12 hour shift at the newly Zammit Clapp substitution hospital ie Karen Grech and you will definitely see for yourself the accute shortage and the utter dedication of nurses in such confined and inapropriate environment in such an age
If you are man enough you should go and report your findings on this blog
M Borg
Sep 13th 2010, 14:54
I'm not telling you guys that you don't work!I am fully aware that problems exist and that most nurses work their guts out...however strikes aren't the solution! Only patients and junior doctors are suffering the burden of the strike.
If you really want to move forward just present proposals for the short and long term and discuss...but strikes won't work at this day and age.
Paul Camilleri
Sep 13th 2010, 17:37
M Borg Do YOU know that proposals have been presented YEARS AGO but the INCOMPETENT and ARROGANT PN Government swept them under the carpet as usual and indeed a couple of years back a Minister stated that we had more than enough nurses so much so that he reduced the course stipend to discourage students from applying for the nurses course? I wonder if you are living in Malta or on the Moon?
G.Pisani
Sep 13th 2010, 12:06
Oh come on!!. is it so hard to get some medicine from the stores and is it hard to turn on a gas lamp???
Everyone wants higher wages but less work.. get real!! Don't you think if you make the porter get the medicine from the stores there would be more risk of errors as I don't think porters have the any understanding in medicine.
M. A. Camilleri
Sep 13th 2010, 14:00
@ G. Pisani
That is not the point!! Do you think that a hospital should run on gas lamps. If someone from the EU reads this that nurses need to work with gas lamps to see, will not stop laughing at us.
M. A. Camilleri
Sep 13th 2010, 14:01
@ G. Pisani
Who is asking for more wages??? Can't you read!!!
T Camilleri
Sep 13th 2010, 17:34
G.Pisani is collecting medicine and lighting gas lamps something that a nurse should do as part of her job?
G.Camilleri
Sep 13th 2010, 11:59
Good job for MUMN. Fight for your rights and don't be ashamed for them !!
j.cassar
Sep 13th 2010, 12:48
These actions are the result of the friendship of the MUMN with the GWU, the same savage and illegial tacticts are being used. You should be ashamed of yourself, the patients should come first, and about a claim that has nothing to do with their work