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NAJ President Patsy Edwards Henry
The Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) is calling for a dedicated budget for the training of nurses.
The suggestion comes as the country continues to grapple with the exodus of scores of nurses from the profession yearly.
Minister of Health Dr. Christopher Tufton has revealed that more than 70 nurses at the University Hospital of the West Indies have been lured by overseas recruiting agencies since January.
This has created a serious staffing gap at the institution.
NAJ President Patsy Edwards Henry argues that the government has not been employing as many nurses as it has been losing.
Furthermore, she says the lack of a government budget dedicated to training nurses is contributing to the shortfall in the profession.
The NAJ president, who was speaking Wednesday on TVJ's Smile Jamaica, said the issue of nurse training has been discussed during wage negotiations but the discussions have not progressed.
"While we do get from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance an allocation in our negotiation to allow to sponsor nurses and children of nurses, it is not near what we need to train the number of nurses that are required to fill the gap," she contended.
Mrs Edwards Henry reiterated that nurses are not being paid a liveable wage, which makes overseas job offers more attractive.
She said since 2011, nursing schools have been under the management of the Ministry of Education.
As a result, nurses have been paying for their education and training, without the guarantee of a job.
The health minister says 236 nurses, assistant nurses, and patient care assistants are to be hired and deployed within the South East Regional Health Authority in two weeks.
The Western Regional Health Authority is also to get additional staff.
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