The nurses’ union yesterday wrote to the hospital’s chief executive demanding a new canteen after Times of Malta revealed that the once temporary ward which took the place of the canteen would become permanent.
Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses president Paul Pace said the union was shocked to read that temporary wards were being turned into permanent ones.
Work to bring them in line with acceptable standards is expected to start in the coming weeks.
The decision was taken after the temporary solution worked for a few months, which included the period of increased hospitalisation during the seasonal influenza. Instead of allowing patients to spill into the corridors, the hospital management tried a different solution: turning the medical library and the staff canteen into temporary wards.
However, beds were so close to each other that there was no privacy, while patients had to be supplied with portable toilets and shower cubicles.
“We had been hearing it through the grapevine but we were shocked to read that a decision has been taken. In fact, we immediately wrote to the CEO to ask where the new staff canteen was going to be placed because workers cannot work 12 hours shifts without having anywhere to take a proper break,” Pace said.
He said nurses and midwives took their break in locker rooms or stores in the wards since they had nowhere to have a bite to eat or stretch their legs.
While praising the decision to upgrade the present temporary arrangements which made the conditions “inhumane”, Pace said the hospital management needed to find an alternative for the staff.
The staff had also been promised their own gym, to support their mental and physical wellbeing, he added.
Meeting today
Meanwhile, the union will today meet the health ministry to start discussions on the new sectoral agreement, a week after nearly all its members voted “no” to the government’s financial package at an extraordinary general meeting attended by 804 nurses and midwives.
As a sign of goodwill, the union opted not to issue fresh directives but offered the government “another chance” to come back with another package.
“The government knows the previous package did not go through so we expect it to come to the table with a better offer,” Pace said.
Asked whether the introduction of palm readers was the main stumbling block, Pace said although this was “an issue”, it would not be enough to withdraw this proposal but the union expected the continued use of attendance sheets to be included in the sectoral agreement “just like doctors”.
“We run the hospital. Other professions do not have to do management. They come, see their patients and leave. Their role is still important but they do not have hospital management, night and day, like us,” he said.