Nurses' industrial action 'successful'

Nurses at St Luke's and Karin Grech hospitals yesterday followed directives issued by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN).

On Friday the union said it was directing nurses not to move from the ward, unit or operating theatre they were allocated to at St Luke's Hospital, Karin Grech Hospital and the hospital's outpatient department as from 7 a.m. yesterday.

Nurses were also directed only to partially wash patients if there were not enough nurses in the medicine and surgical wards. Union general secretary Colin Galea described the industrial action as "a success".

He said there had not yet been any communication with the hospital authorities and the action would continue until the staff complement was reached. He did not rule out intensifying the action.

Human resources and administration director Mark Scicluna said the nursing complement at St Luke's Hospital wards was reached yesterday but added that this might not be the case in the days to come.

"The directive will hinder the management's ability to ensure effective deployment of nursing staff in the wards," he said.

Mr Scicluna said that although resources were limited, the hospital strove to ensure that the complement was also sufficient through redeployment of staff where they were required. All the nurses who graduated last year had been employed by the health division, he added.