Nurses union: Healthcare workers should have been included in advanced poll

Bahamas Nurses Union (BNU) President Amancha Williams said more things should have been taken into consideration before Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis decided to have a general election in the midst of a surge in COVID cases.

With the healthcare system overwhelmed with COVID hospitalizations, Williams said it will be a challenge for many healthcare workers to be able to vote. 

“We know that at that time, the nurse will be working or the doctor will be working too, the maid will be working and taking care of COVID patients,” she said.

“Why didn’t they design a poll just for us, for the essential workers at this time?

“These are things that the prime minister and his committee didn’t include us in.

“We don’t want any nurse leaving from where she’s working on a ward with a patient to go to vote. So, she should have the opportunity to go and vote freely. And we said … have the advanced poll available for us.”

The advanced poll, which is scheduled to take place on September 9, a week ahead of election day on September 16, is not open to healthcare workers. 

With 2,797 COVID-19 cases and 52 deaths confirmed in The Bahamas so far this month, Williams said the load is adding to an already challenging shortage of nurses. 

She said nurses are struggling to cope with not only the workload but also the mental toll.

“We are saying to the public, please, vaccinated or unvaccinated, wear your mask, hand sanitize, social distance and stay home and stop partying at this time,” Williams said.

“This is not the time to be partying.

“This is the time to stay home.

“… When you’re burying people every day, and in the newspaper, you can see how many deaths [there are]. Four persons from one family? Come on.”

She added, “We have been doing an excellent job providing psychological sessions for the nurses because it is really difficult in a time like this.

“We’ve never seen it like this.”

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/nurses-union-healthcare-workers-should-have-been-included-in-advanced-poll/