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Is the VI health care system failing local health care personnel?

Minister of Health and Social Development, Hon. Ronnie W. Skelton [left] pictured here with PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. Merle J. Lewis during a recent courtesy call, has asked for time to address the issue of facilitating VIslanders who have trained in the health care fields to return home to work. Photo: Ronnielle Frazer/GIS
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - A caller to NDP Radio on March 5, 2012 claimed that there are Virgin Islanders, who have gone away to the United States to train as nurses but although they want to come home after training they cannot because the system is telling them they need two years of practice before they could hire them.

“If that is so how will our people ever be able to take their rightful place in governmental functions?” the caller asked while adding that one such nurse is in Florida and another one is working in St. Thomas because she needed two years of experience to work at Peebles but the health care service in St. Thomas was able to hire her.

“Something is wrong with that system that allows something like that to happen,” the caller said.

Minister for Health and Social Development Hon. Ronnie Skelton agreed that Government should be able to hire those persons that have been sent for training in the health care fields.

“They just don’t get up and go, we send them so if they are trained they need to come back here, whatever they need to do, under the supervision of senior nurses or top nurses. We need to do it here and if there is a possibility that we can get the additional training someplace else or they request additional training someplace else it’s not a problem but we cannot send our people away and when they finish doing their training and they come to the BVI they have to sit at home for six months, eight months, 12 months before they can get a job or before our Government or the health care system can tell them they can’t employ them. If we send them away we should be able to employ them,” he said.

Minister Skelton also pleaded for time as he is “going to work on it”. “When we were here (in Governemnt) the last time we had a programme to attract BVIslanders who were working overseas in the healthcare system to come back home. Just like how we give people who are not from the Virgin Islands, we were planning to give incentives for them to work in their country.”

16 Responses to “Is the VI health care system failing local health care personnel?”

  • Nurse too (07/03/2012, 16:27) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    This is foolishness. While I agree with freedom of expression, some people need to be muzzled if they are going to be on the air talking foolishness. Peebles Hospital operates with human resource rules and guidelines that are written and hence transparent. Nowhere in these rules, is it written that nurses have to have two years experience prior to employment, except in instances where those persons are being recruited from abroad. In fact in the last two years there were two nurses hired directly back from school. I am also aware that this exists in the other healthcare professions as well. In the past Local Nurses were encouraged to have at least one year experience prior to returning home but this was a suggestion, not a rule. The reason was that this allowed the Nurse some Professional practice time and exposure to allow them to effectively transition from academia to practice while gaining experience that may not be possible in the BVI. Some Nurses CHOSE to accept that suggestion. Nobody forced them. Mr Minister, please support your healthcare workers and your healthcare system...it may need some improvements but it is not the worst. The caller needed to explore the real reason why Nurses DONT WANT to come back home...Might I suggest that it may have something to do with the lack of respect that the community demonstrates to Healthcare workers?
    • pops (07/03/2012, 17:07) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      No the real reason is that indigenous people born here are treated like dogs that is the reason why no one should every return home.
    • messy (08/03/2012, 15:09) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      You full of crop support who , are you mad where in God world do you hear doctor from oversea advising our dotor how to stabalize patients this is crazy if we had prpper doctor we wouldnt have to be sending everyone out of Tortola, . You guys put a rule in place and you dont even follwo it, like Doctor have to have experince in the caribbean and i have seen diffrently what about that, I have seen you bring a doctor her from God knows where that have no caribbean experience and you have hired to spite other doctor, you guys are nasty minded Hon. ronnie dont east up on them
  • GET TRAINED (07/03/2012, 17:31) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The nurses, like any other professionals, need to be trained. College is NOT training. If you want a good hospital, require that the nurses are trained to first world standards in a first world hospital. If you want crap, then bring them home to work at Peebles right after school and see what you get. See if that improves the hospital. What standards do we want?
  • yoyo (07/03/2012, 17:45) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Three questions: did the "local nurses" who were turned away complete their qualifications and pass the NCLEX so that they can be registered as nurses? did they apply and were rejected officially? Or is this the "real reason"? Perhaps they got a better paying job and its easier to blame this on the Health Services. This is a difficult one to believe
    • laughing (08/03/2012, 15:12) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Did your Health adminstration officer had experience or was she a Midnurse
  • Not2Sure (07/03/2012, 17:46) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I don't know whether VI Health Care is failing the local health care personnel. But I strongly get the sense that those same personnel and the VI Health Care system generally is failing the people of the BVI.
  • Plain (07/03/2012, 21:05) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Pure complaining, no real action. I from here so I should get what I want regardless of rules. Then we want to harass the youth for the way they behave? Where do you think they get their attitude from?
  • fish market (07/03/2012, 23:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    i am yet to be impress with both the public and private health care systems in the BVI....cost to high, service to lackadaisical.
  • Quiet Storm (08/03/2012, 00:55) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Like other areas of the labour force, we failed to adequately prepare locals to work in the health sector. We are lagging in this area. We boast of having one of the highest per capita income in the region, as well as having one of highest standard of living and quality of life.. Yet so far we have failed to be self sufficient in nursing and other health skills. Our population grew and we should have anticipated and plan for the growth. The planning should have and should include builiding adequate, modern facilities and training doctors, nurses, technicians, physiccian assistants and other personnel to provide affornable and accessible health care for all citizens. Health issues are not discriminatory. They attack men and women, local and expatiate, rich and poor, or black/white/Asian/Hispanic alike. Thus, proper healthcare should be a top national priority. If we invest in our people to go overseas to train in nursing and other skills, we need to provide the opportunity for them to come home and make their contribution using their acquired training and skills. We cannot bring them home and frustrate them and have them leave to contribute to other countries. We cannot use our scarce resources to meet other countries need. Health cost is skyrocketing. And we must make every effort to contain the cost yet provide high quality, accessible, and affordable services. Health care should not be accessible base on one's pocket book. Routine health care should be available to all citizens. But to make this happen requires a plan. The Hon Skeleton have an opportunity to leave a lasting and powerful legacy in the health area. It is a heavy, challenging lift. But it is attainable. Ronnie we are waiting anxiously to see what you are going to rollout. healthcare
    • under rated (08/03/2012, 10:53) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      quiet storm seem like you need a job for you spend too much time on deeds blogs
      • Watching you (08/03/2012, 14:55) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        Seems as if you are spending too much time at work reading "deeds" blogs. Did you mean these? The pot should be calling the kettle black. How would you know anyone was commenting on many articles if you were not trolling the on line news sites. Take the plank out of your eyes b4 you complain about what is in somerlse's. Read, learn, and enjoy the commentaries. Real Talk, Ray, E. Leonard, Quiet Storm, Billy B and others provide a diverse range of opinions on a myriad of topics. And it is all for free!
  • hm (08/03/2012, 11:42) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I think they dont want to come back home is due to the low pay they receive from government.
  • no dollars (08/03/2012, 23:49) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Ronnie and the NDP trying dem best but no $$$$$ dey!


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