TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO’S NURSES SEEKING INTERNATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AS THE COUNTRY’S HEALTHCARE SECTOR BECOMES UNATTRACTIVE

By a Staff Reporter: With Trinidad and Tobago’s nurses working in less than favourable conditions, more seasoned nurses continue to flee the country to work in countries such as the UK and Canada.

This according to 2nd Vice President at the Trinidad and Tobago Registered Nurses Association Letitia Cox who said that compensation packages in those countries are more attractive. During a radio interview on Tuesday, Ms Cox said that some nurses have also had difficulties getting employment and as such, sought employment internationally.

She added that nurses are only being brought on temporarily as proper terms and conditions may be too expensive for government, which is an economic issue.

And with 65 percent of nurses vaccinated, Ms Cox said earlier this year, the association requested to host their own vaccination site but was rejected by the Ministry of Health

Regarding government’s public sector vaccine mandate, Ms Cox said that the TTRNA is against it. She said that she believes that the target would have been met in 2-3 weeks time as campaign vaccine drives were being looked at to encourage educate and incentivize healthcare workers to get vaccinated. Initiatives such as these, she added, can be more beneficial.

Cox further stated that vaccine mandates, according to the world health organization, should be a last resort, as it can lead to social inequalities.