…as Linden nurses bring take their protest action to Georgetown
The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has joined nurses of the Linden Hospital Complex in calling for the removal of its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rudolph Small over derogatory remarks he recently made about the hospital’s female nursing staff. The Union said that if swift action is not taken, it will seek legal means to remove the CEO.
Taking to the Ministry of Health’s main office on Brickdam Street on Monday morning, the nurses held up placards which displayed from ‘Rudy Must Go’ to ‘Nurses Rights are Human Rights’. The nurses also complained about drug shortages and security concerns.
They later marched over to the GPSU for a press conference regarding the current protest action. First Vice President of the GPSU, Dawn Gardener, on behalf of the Union, called for the removal of Small pointing out that the nurses who have been risking their lives throughout the pandemic, deserve to be treated with respect. “These frontline workers have made significant impact on the spread of COVID-19 in Guyana while thousands continue to die throughout the world. However, all the CEO could offer to his healthcare workers in this crisis situation is belittlement of the nurses, women’s character assassination and degrading statements,” she said, adding:
“This culprit must face consequences for his loose, irresponsible, unethical, unprofessional and vulgar conduct, the GPSU in consultation with [and] our attorney are exploring legal options with a view of engaging the court of law for redress as it relates to these scandalous remarks.”
Nurses have been protesting the CEO who was sacked then reinstated by the Ministry recently. Small had alleged that the nurses would report for work, sign the time and then leave and spend the night with their “sweet man”. The nurses have taken umbrage to his remarks and have been calling for his removal.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has taken on the approach that it is open to engagement with the nurses of the Linden Hospital Complex and their Union on the matter. However, thus far, both the Union and the Nurses have made their position clear that only the removal of Small will suffice.
