Nurses Happy with Acting PM’s Explanation on Reforms
West nurses say they are happy with the explanation about civil service reforms by Acting Prime Minister and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
Following the interactive sessions, they said they were satisfied that Mr Sayed-Khaiyum had elaborated on the issues that were queried.
“Now we see that the administrative is with our Ministry and we are happy that Ms Jane Curran will raise the issues tomorrow,” said one who asked not to be named. “We found out today that Mr Sayed-Khaiyum and his team were not aware of many things that were happening within the Ministry of Health so we will have to wait until everything is sorted out.” Administrative issues raised by nurses will be taken up by the Civil Service Reform Management Unit today following the two West road shows yesterday.
Ms Curran, Civil Service Reform Management Unit Director, told the nurses there were a lot of issues that needed sorting out. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum and his team held the road shows in Ba and Nadi and the majority of those attending were from the Ministry of Health.
“Many of the issues were the day to day practical issues that had to do with the unfortunate administrative issues,” Mr Sayed-Khayum said.
“We want to be a good choice employer and we want people to come and work for Government. We want people to stay in Government and be satisfied with their work environment.”
Issues included:
Contract signed but not sitting on the right salary band – sitting at a different rate of salary. Midwifery positions and registered nurses. Allowances at health centres. Why specialised nurses, who look after one patient, are paid more; while a nurse in a general ward looking after many patients is paid less
Nurses are not paid while on study while allowances were only for daily needs. Ms Curran said she had been emailing the Director Human Resource of the Ministry of Health yesterday morning.
“There is a taskforce that has been finalising the jobs in relation to the experience,” Ms Curran said. “What you need to understand is when you register as a midwife it doesn’t get you to band G.
“There are 800 specialist nurses and the ministry has to identify them, so too the midwives and where they are,” Ms Curran said.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said it was hard to understand why the ministry was not being very transparent.
“In fact the Ministry of Health budget has increased substantially,” he said.
“For a couple of years they have returned money to us at the end of the year because they have underspent.
“One year we had $14 million returned to us and when I say returned what I mean is that it was budgeted for but they did not spend it.
“Again I apologise for that because there needs to be consistency in that and it’s become very frustrating for us policy makers as to why these civil servants can’t do their jobs properly.
“When we make comments and say some people aren’t doing their jobs, these are the people we are actually talking about, those at administrative level. The very basic things should have been sorted out earlier on.”