By Sue-Ann Wayow
DUE to financial constraints, medical personnel under the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) will not be receiving the annual uniform and shoe allowance soon.
And President of the National Nursing Association Idi Stuart told AZPNews.com that nurses would be well within their right to show up to work in plain clothes as the allowance is used to purchase the mandatory uniform.
A letter dated June 25, from acting Chief Executive Officer Salisha Baksh to hospital administrators, nursing administrators and primary care nurse managers gave the reason.
The letter stated, “I wish to advise that due to the Authority’s current severe financial contraints as a result of the ongoing pandemic, the payment of Uniform and Shoe Allowance to eligible employees (Nursing/Allied Health/Manipulative) have been deferred until further notice.”
It continued that employees would be advised of any further updates.
Stuart said the union received the information on Wednesday morning.
“It is unfortunate that the regional health authority did not have a discussion with the union before this decision was taken,” he said.
He said he spoke with Baksh who stated simply that the Authority did not have the annual approximate figure of $1200 to pay to each employee. Usually the payment is made in April but on the past few occasions, payments were delayed. Stuart said nurses were hoping that by June, they would have received that payment.
Stuart said letters will be written tomorrow to both Finance Minister Colm Imbert and Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh because employees were still working on 2013 salaries and allowances.
He added that since the pandemic as done in other countries, nurses and other medical personnel have not received any additional allowance while working through faithfully and under much pressure since last year.
