The nurses are on strike over unpaid 2006 award and salary reclassification.
The medical director of the Port Moresby General Hospital, Dr. Simon Mete, said the hospital was now on an urgent employment drive for 88 nurses and community health workers to help attend to emergencies because the hospital was short of nursing staff.
Mete said the few doctors and CHWs could not cope with the demand. He had sent out notices asking for nurses and trained CHWs who were willing to help during this time of crisis.
“We want trained nurses and community health workers to come forward; otherwise you will not have a hospital. The doctors are stressed out. They are not many and are overworked,’’ Mete said.
He described the nurses’ strike as illegal, saying some of the new recruits would be considered for employment with the hospital to replace the striking nurses.
By Tuesday afternoon, nine people had walked into the hospital for employment, in addition to many telephone calls that came in for the management with regards to employment with the hospital. They were expecting more to come yesterday.
On Monday, nurses in all major hospitals had returned to work except PMGH and Wewak Hospital in East Sepik Province.
National Doctors Association president Dr. Kauve Pomat has written a letter to Health Secretary Clement Malau stating his concern over the stress placed on doctors at all major hospitals, including PMGH as a result of the nurses’ strike.
He said doctors were overworked and not sleeping properly, which would affect patient care.
Kauve urged the health department to resolve the issue so that the nurses return to work.
