Nurses Union President: “I Guess Their Concern Is Building Buildings, Not Building Lives”

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Bahamas Nurses Union (BNU) President Muriel Lightbourn calls out government on plans for a new hospital in Western New Providence.

Muriel Lightbourn – President, Bahamas Nurses Union

“ Their concern is building, building buildings and not building lives. So you know, I’m just so tired of this new hospital business, when we are not treating what we have in our hands [properly].”

She says officials are pushing ahead with new projects, while the current healthcare system continues to break down.

Health Minister Dr. Michael Darville announced yesterday that all major approvals have now been finalized on the new $283 million specialty hospital.

However, for the BNU President, the biggest issue isn’t about securing money for a new hospital, it’s what’s happening to healthcare workers right now.

Muriel Lightbourn – President, Bahamas Nurses Union

“ If we would’ve have made an effort to maintain the present building that we have, we could be working with them. We have clinics in the family of islands that [are] just beautiful structures, but because they’re not maintaining these structures, they’re not working.”

“We have a beautiful clinic inside Exuma, but the clinic ain’t working. The clinic is not serving its purpose.”

In addition, Lightbourn says the system is already short. She claims many nurses are being called in again and again just to keep services running.

Muriel Lightbourn – President, Bahamas Nurses Union

“ We are having a shortage of staff as we speak in the existing healthcare facilities, we are short on staff. We short on staff so much that [there] was just a memo center talking about how much it costs for overtime.”

The BNU President says she doesn’t want to see another big project announced without the government first dealing with maintenance and upgrades to current facilities.

Muriel Lightbourn – President, Bahamas Nurses Union

“How is that a new concentration on building a new hospital, another building to add to the lack of maintenance. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, you know….to me it just doesn’t make sense.”