In a press conference last week, the Nurses’ Association of the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital lamented the condition of the hospital citing the lack of many materials necessary for the fulfillment of their mandate.
The nurses complained of the lack of things as basic as proper dustbins and fridges where they keep medications and other items. They also lamented the low salary and poor working conditions.
The nurses said that if the vehicles of the hospital (management and other officials) never lack fuel, then they see no reason why the hospital should lack basic things which can be done at a very low cost.
Thus, the nurses said that they hold the belief that the problem is not about ‘the coffers being empty’; rather, it is a problem of the management not willing to do the right thing. They announced that they are giving management sometime before they will take other actions.
Well, with Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, former Chief Medical Officer of the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, being appointed the new Minister of Health, it is hoped that these problems will be solved very soon as he must be aware of the challenges confronting the nurses and doctors at the hospital.
Health, it is said, is wealth!
