Not the time, not the place

NOBODY begrudges nurses their right to stand up for themselves. They should not have to beg the State to be paid on time. But isn’t the biggest feature of the covid19 pandemic the fact that we are all required to hold strain, to sacrifice?

We have all given up precious things. At various points we’ve been forced to stay home, returning citizens have been locked out or quarantined, people could not go to church, beaches have been off limits. And some of us have lost loved ones, were even unable to say goodbye.

Yet with all of this has come an understanding that there are bigger imperatives at work. We are in this together, we say. For nurses to protest, for them to withdraw from duty, for them to use precious time to hold up placards outside hospital wards – all of it is to shoot themselves in the foot.

This does little to inspire the public to rally behind them. In fact, in the present circumstances, it undermines their cause. To continue this protest even after the intervention of the Minister of Finance in relation to the North Central Regional Health Authority impasse is to appear intransigent.

The message sent to Mr Imbert is not “Pay us.” It is “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” In an election year, this action has all the hallmarks of transparent opportunism. At a moment when medical workers are more important than ever, holding the State to ransom is a risky gambit. It may undermine confidence in the health system.

The bigger picture is as much about economic reality as it is about the covid19 health crisis. Partly thanks to the work of nurses, the physical threat of the virus is being held at bay.

But the crisis is far from over: even if the numbers of patients to date have not been overwhelming, the pandemic’s impact on the country’s economy is vast and yet to be fully felt and measured. The budget deficit so far – a whopping $16 billion – tells the story. As does the additional expenditure of the Ministry of Health.

More staff have been hired, more personal protective equipment sourced, facilities have been, are being, upgraded and commissioned and specific sites have been designated to treat infected people. Step-down facilities were established. An entire parallel health system was created.

The TT Registered Nurses Association needs to reassess its position. If it truly cares about representing nurses’ interests, it must consider that, as with everything in life, there is a time and a place. Otherwise, it is the people, not the State, who will pay.