Ambulance Dept having
problems, calls in union
PHILIPSBURG--Concerns of members of the Island Government’s Ambulance Department about poor working conditions, low salary and under-maintained vehicles have prompted the Windward Islands Civil Servants’ Union (WICSU) to intercede regarding several issues that affect the workers.
Understaffing, the absence of specific hazards insurance and the fact that only one vehicle is currently serving the eight-member Ambulatory Care Department are some of the issues that contribute to the “deplorable conditions” the professionals must bear, according to WICSU in a press statement Thursday.
Health Affairs Commissioner Maria Buncamper-Molanus plans to meet with the ambulance employees after Carnival, for the first time since taking office last July, to discuss their concerns. However, her position is that they should make a point of involving their department heads and sector directors in “taking care of these issues” before calling in the policy-makers.
“It is my belief that the people in charge of the department should be responsible for taking care of these issues,” she told The Daily Herald.
The workers are worried about not having specific insurance that keeps them safe in case of on-the-job hazards and about low salary scales, but their major concern is that there are very few people to carry the department’s work load.
Although the Executive Council (ExCo) recently approved the hiring of three additional workers, these persons, who will act as dispatchers, are mainly support staff and the operational staff remains under tight rotations.
“It was very difficult to get people to start with,” said Buncamper-Molanus, explaining that the scrutiny was great for these high-pressure jobs in the essential government department.
Head of the Ambulatory Care Department Cylred Richardson noted that print media advertisements of jobs as ambulance nurses and assistants had been published for the past few weeks and said several candidates would be interviewed after Carnival.
“It’s something we are working on,” Richardson said, insisting that they would “continue the recruiting process” until the staff grew.
The department has been functioning with only one vehicle for the past few months, after having to decommission two ambulances for repairs. Currently, they have one vehicle and a 4x4 backup, which is “unfortunate,” according to Richardson.
He explained that they had taken the ambulances out of service to ensure they were in working condition before putting them to use again. The downside is that the strain on the single vehicle currently being used will eventually wear it out, Richardson said. “We didn’t want our people to be out on the road with the vehicles breaking down every minute,” he said of the decision to decommission the vehicles, both of which are suffering from severe engine problems.
The employees biggest grievance is the apparent lack of attention being placed on the Ambulance Department, as indicated by the commissioner not meeting the staff in almost one year of holding office, the union said.
“The Ambulance Department is one of the most important departments in government, but staff members believe they are being taken for a ride by government and not at all respected by their Commissioner, who has on numerous occasions refused to come and speak with them.”
Buncamper-Molanus explained that she had intended to meet with the members on several occasions, but had gotten caught up in her “hectic job.” “I should have met with them before, but time passes so quickly,” she said, adding that the workers would have their meeting and their discussions.
