Copyright timesofmalta
Updated 12.35pm with warning of industrial action. Patients are openly consuming beer, marijuana and whisky on a regular basis in a rehabilitation ward of Karin Grech Hospital, and reports by nurses have fallen on deaf ears, the nurses' union said on Wednesday. The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) said it wished to express 'utmost concern' regarding the 'deplorable situation' at the hospital (KGH) — particularly in Ward R1 — where both patients and staff are being placed in 'unacceptable and dangerous' conditions due to gross mismanagement and negligence. "The crisis at KGH extends far beyond infrastructure. In one of the rehabilitation wards, patients are openly consuming alcohol, including beer, marijuana and whisky, on a regular basis. Nurses have filed multiple incident reports and repeatedly requested security intervention to curb this unacceptable behaviour," the union said in a statement. "These reports were ignored by hospital management and no security (as requested several times by the nurses) was ever sent, allowing such misconduct to continue unchecked. As a result, certain patients have been permitted to dominate the ward environment, leading to verbal abuse, intimidation, humiliation, and emotional exhaustion among staff most especially the nurses. Several nurses have required psychological support due to the toxic and unsafe work environment." In a separate incident, it said, it was only after industrial action—once again necessitated by the hospital management’s continued disregard for nurses and patients—that a patient caught smoking marijuana was finally transferred to Mt. Carmel Hospital. The MUMN said it is holding the CEO and the Chief Nursing Manager directly responsible for this 'systemic collapse.' "The administration’s failure to act on multiple incident reports — including those documenting a patient found intoxicated and lying on the ground near Ward R1 in the adjacent yard — is a clear reflection of gross managerial negligence," it said. It said that instead of addressing these serious concerns, management had allegedly chosen to repress and threaten nurses who sought support from their union, attempting to conceal the gravity of these issues. "Certain patients have accumulated over 15 separate incident reports, yet no protective action has been taken by KGH management to safeguard the nursing and healthcare staff. The continued inaction and suppression of reports have led to severe burnout and increased sick leave among the nursing workforce." Warning of industrial action unless patient is moved Later on Monday the MUMN said nurses will not report for duty at the rehabilitation hospital’s young persons’ ward unless a problematic patient is removed by the end of the day. Union president Paul Pace said that on Monday the management at Karin Grech rehabilitation hospital was informed that if the patient was not removed by Wednesday, nurses in the R1 ward - where young people undergoing rehabilitation are treated - would not turn up for work. Instead, they would remain in the administration section. The ward accommodates about 24 patients, and over the past months there were three problematic cases: one woman who was found in possession of cannabis and transferred to Mount Carmel Hospital, and two men consumed alcohol on the ward and became aggressive and abusive towards staff. One of the two male patients had 15 incident reports filed due to abusive behaviour, Pace said. So far the directives referred to one of the two problematic patients, but further directives would be issued if the second patient continued causing trouble, he said. “The staff are burning out and nothing is being done. They are being told off when they speak up instead of being protected,” Pace said, adding that one nurse has been certified unfit for work by her psychologist. He added that a large number of third-country national staff members are afraid to speak up for fear of losing their job, which is tied to their work permit and residency in Malta. Meanwhile, a Health Ministry spokesperson said there was only one incident report, which dated back months, where, next to a patient’s bedside, a can of beer was found. Apart from this incident, there were no other official reports related to alcohol, “As for marijuana, a patient was smelling of marijuana last Wednesday when, immediately, a proper urine test was done that came out negative. Irrespective of this, a police report was filed, and the patient was transferred to Mount Carmel,” he said. Alarming state of disrepair In its statement on Wednesday, the union also repeated past complaints that Karin Grech Hospital is in an alarming state of disrepair. "The facility is in urgent need of refurbishment, with sections of the plaster often accompanied by huge chunks of concrete falling from the roof, narrowly missing nursing staff. In ward R1 the relatives’ toilets have been closed by architects after the roof was declared unsafe and in imminent danger of collapse. "Across the hospital, ceilings are deteriorating, with parts of plaster falling off — posing constant risk to patients, nurses, and visitors alike." The union said that given the worsening situation, it has been compelled to declare an industrial dispute and to issue Health and Safety Directives to protect its members working at Karen Grech Hospital. "MUMN reiterates that the current state of neglect, managerial incompetence, and systematic failure at Karen Grech Hospital cannot and will not be tolerated. Immediate intervention is required to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of both patients and healthcare professionals," it said. It called for action to address the hospital's condition. It also demanded immediate action against the hospital's officials so that the toxic ward environment at the hospital could be addressed.
