Nursing Shortage?

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, Mar 19, CMC –The St. Lucia Nurses Association (SLNA) has called on the government to ensure that problems confronting the profession are adequately dealt with before seeking to satisfy the employment needs of member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states.

The Kenny Anthony government announced earlier this week that it has welcomed an offer from Trinidad and Tobago to employ local nurses to fulfill a shortage in the oil-rich twin island republic.
Prime Minister Anthony said that the offer was made by his Trinidad and Tobago counterpart, Kamla Persad Bissessar during the recently held Caribbean Community (CARICOM) inter-sessional summit in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Anthony said the offer underscored the importance of the regional integration movement.
“If there are shortages of skills and labour in one CARICOM country, then the shortage should be resolved by inviting other CARICOM countries to supply those skills,” he added.
But SLNA president Lydia Leonce said the government had accepted the offer at a time when there is a shortage of local nurses.

She said that while the SLNA had no objection to nurses seeking employment overseas, this should not be at the expense of compromising the delivery of health care in St. Lucia. She said the government should only encourage local nurses to take up overseas appointments after taking care of its own.