President of the TT Registered Nurses Association Idi Stuart has described as “unfortunate” the Tobago Regional Health Authority’s (TRHA’s) decision not to give contract nurses benefits and allowances on par with their permanent counterparts.

The contract nurses, who have been working alongside staff nurses on the frontline of the covid19 pandemic for more than a year, complained they are not entitled to paid sick leave, vacation leave or maternity leave.

The TRHA hired them on a short-term basis at the start of the pandemic in 2020 and retained them to augment the existing nursing staff.

At the THA Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development’s virtual media briefing on May 14, secretary Tracy Davidson-Celestine said the contract nurses' status will remain unchanged for the time being as the TRHA is not hiring.

Davidson-Celestine added the nurses will be the first to be considered for employment at the new Roxborough Hospital, which was handed over to the TRHA about three weeks ago.

In an interview with Newsday on Thursday, Stuart said while the concerns of Tobago nurses are not as dire as those of their counterparts in Trinidad, they want a more secure form of employment.

He said the nurses are willing to care for covid19 patients.

“They have been doing a marvelous job,” he said.

But Stuart said they are concerned that after having worked for more than a year, they are not afforded sick or vacation leave.

He said once an employee works for the government continuously for more than a year, he or she is entitled to certain benefits.

“So it is really unfortunate that the secretary for health and the TRHA do not see the importance of allowing nurses to have a break from this continuous battle, which does not seem like being resolved anytime soon.”

Stuart predicted the country’s battle with covid19 could last for more than a year “until we reach herd immunity.”

He added: “So it is really disappointing that they (TRHA) don’t see the benefit that would accrue to patient care if nurses were able to get some rest.”

Stuart believes the TRHA may try to break the nurses’ service “because they know fully well once you are employed with the Government for a year and more, you are entitled to certain benefits.

“So, to get around that, they are basically letting the nurses know, 'We are going to let you go home for period and bring you back after.'”

Saying nurses on the frontline should not be treated in this way, Stuart said the TRHA does not appear to be interested in securing a permanent cadre of nursing personnel.

“It is something we have been pointing to for a while. The authority doesn’t have a problem building million-dollar facilities, permanent structures. But they don’t seem to make nursing personnel permanent in those permanent structures.”

But, he said, "They don’t see the need to allow nurses to be in a position when they retire that they have gratuity or a pension to look forward to. They could be easily sent home at the drop of a pin.”

Stuart feared that once the pandem

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