The Trinidad and Tobago Registered Nurses Association (TTRNA) wishes to continue its update to the wider nursing membership, regarding the changes to security measures which are expected to take place at POSGH since the shooting incident on Tuesday 26th November 2019.
Although persons may have been aware of some of the recommendations made by TTRNA, as they were widely reported in all print and online media, allow the Association to reiterate them:
1. Restricting Access of the General Public to ward areas and the immediate environment surrounding the ward. This will include:
a) Reducing entry and exit points to ward areas.
b) All persons must be scanned upon entering ward areas.
c) All staff must wear NWRHA Identification badges while on duty.
2. Development of a High-Risk unit.
a) To house all patients who have been flagged by staff as High Risk for absconding, self-harm, attacks to staff or reprisal attacks from external persons.
b) Pay nursing personnel working on this ward, a risk allowance.
c) Locating this unit in a difficult to access location.
3. Have a 24hr police presence in the High-Risk unit.
While this list is by no means exhaustive of the recommendations TTRNA made to the NWRHA, it did cover most of our deliberations. Following several meetings between TTRNA, senior officials of the TTPS, members of staff and the Executive Management of the NWRHA, the Association is pleased to announce items 1 and 3 listed above have been accepted and is in the process of being implemented.
Discussions continue on some aspects of item 2, while other aspects of item 2 have been accepted. We will update the nursing personnel when the final decision is made. TTRNA would have been in constant contact with the affected individuals who experienced such a horrific incident throughout this ordeal and ensured they obtained the needed leave from duty and meeting their individual request.
TTRNA wishes to commend all nursing personnel who have continued to work arduously in extremely difficult circumstances since the decanting of POSGH Central Block. The Association request all our members to abide by the new security measures as it is designed to provide the much-needed protection in an environment that is less than desirable. TTRNA will continue to lobby and make representation on behalf of all nursing and midwifery personnel in its attempt to improve the lives of our members and raise the standard of healthcare in Trinidad and Tobago.
