Nurses sickout called off pending instant and future fixes from gov’t

Premier Andrew Fahie

Premier Andrew Fahie has insisted that his government is striving for a solution that is workable for all parties in the ongoing BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) impasse which saw several nurses embark on a sickout.

Speaking at a recent press conference late last week, Premier Fahie said: “They have concerns and we are discussing them and we’re going to see if we can find common ground because we haven’t reported back to them as yet; that’s next week.”

He said ‘common ground’ is what his government is seeking in holding discussions with the various parties.

The Premier further said he did not want to preempt the meetings because there was nothing that has “sent off an alarm in the wrong direction as yet”.

“[Issues] are being worked out so we have to get back to them and continue to dialogue. This is not a one-step dance at all,” Premier Fahie noted.

Sick out called off

During the press conference, it was revealed that the sick out had been called off pending long-term, medium-term and immediate solutions by the government.

The Premier said that these were difficult issues but said they were all part of leadership. “We are either going to get results or excuses, and we can’t have both,” Premier Fahie stated.

Previously, the Health Minister, Carvin Malone, as well as the BVIHSA had denied media reports that there had been a sickout, noting that all nursing areas had been fully staffed while the reported sickout had been taking place.

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