Edith Allwood-Anderson, president of the Nurses Association of Jamaica, charging nurses at the Kingston Public Hospital yesterday to pressure the Ministry of Health into equipping them with the necessary supplies for them to properly carry out their functions. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

A lack of basic health supplies, such as syringes, needles and panadol, is putting patients' lives at risk, Edith Allwood-Anderson, president of the Nurses' Association of Jamaica, said yesterday.

At a meeting held yesterday at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), with more than 50 nurses and representatives of the Ministry of Health and the hospital's administration, Mrs. Allwood-Anderson said that for more than two months nurses have been requesting supplies such as antibiotics, intravenous sets, suction machines and bed linen.

"Patients are on the brink of dying," Mrs. Allwood-Anderson charged.

She added that "Nurses have to be playing God, deciding who to get oxygen first."

Frustrated

Nurses at the KPH and Victoria Jubilee Hospital said they were frustrated and had become restive.

One of the agreements reached at yesterday's meeting is that an immediate inventory of supplies be conducted.

"A commitment has been given by the Ministry ofHealth to immediately source some of the critical medical supplies needed to fill the existing gap," a release from the ministry said.

In addition, the nurses said that because of the situation patients often abuse them.

"All we have is patients," a specialist nurse said.

"Me sick a it. A no like me come here and me no want work," another nurse said.

Dr. Kenneth Baugh, Opposition Spokesman on Health, in a press release condemned the Government and Health Minister Horace Dalley for allowing the situation to "reach untenable proportions".

Nurses on go slow

At the same time, Mr. Dalley accused the administration of the hospitals for the nurses going on go-slow yesterday, stating that the workers were unaware of supplies being in the stores at the hospital.

"What their (nurses) action has shown up is a fundamental weakness in the management of the hospital. Somebody at KPH just did not do their job," Mr. Dalley said.

A registered nurse at the hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Gleaner that it was during the meeting that they were informed of the supplies in the stores.

However, she said the present supply of basic items is still "woefully" inadequate.

Mr. Dalley said that whatever supplies are needed by the nurses will be provided. The minister said that supplies will be delivered today and additional basic items and tools are en route from India.