Fyzabad MP, Dr Lackram Bodoe, is urging the government to invest more in support of nurses, especially in improving their working conditions.
Bodoe made the call in his message on Sunday, in celebration of International Nurses Day.
He says public sector nurses toil, often with insufficient resources and under difficult working conditions and a less-than-ideal nurse to patient ratio in many hospital wards.
Dr Bodoe also believes that government needs to address a shortage of specialist nurses in some care areas.
He said: “In Trinidad and Tobago, nurses are to be commended for their tremendous dedication to duty in our nation’s health institutions. In the public health sector, they continue to toil, often with insufficient resources and under difficult working conditions. Yet, in the great majority of instances, their dedication to duty remains unwavering, as the nation witnessed in the recent COVID-19 pandemic.”
The government needs to invest more in support of the nursing profession, especially in the areas of education and training, and improving the working conditions of nurses. The less-than-ideal nurse to patient ratio on many wards of public hospitals, and the shortage of specialist nurses in some care areas, need to be addressed urgently. In this regard, The Trinidad and Tobago National Nurses Association (TTNNA) is to be commended for its vigorous advocacy for improving the lot of nurses.”