Over three hundred registered nurses under the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) have been offered permanency.
At the Tobago Regional Health Authority’s Award Ceremony in November, it was announced that nurses would soon receive permanency, and on Tuesday, this promise was delivered as registered nurses gathered at the Shaw Park Complex to receive packages outlining the offer.
TRHA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Delmon Baker said this long-standing matter was addressed to confirm the RHA’s commendation for the work being done by its employees.
“Today we do more than just applaud you. We confirm you. We give you the solid foundation on which you can continue to build your life. Today, over three hundred and twelve or eighteen have now been offered permanency within the TRHA. This decision reflects more than employment, it reflects security. It is the Authority’s greatest investment in people, in continuity of care, in workplace morale, and recognising the dignity of the profession of nursing.”
Dr. Baker, along with Deputy Chairman of the TRHA Board Dhanique Jerry, explained that providing permanency for the nurses was a top request from Secretary of Health Dr. Faith Brebnor.
Dr. Brebnor expressed satisfaction with the accomplishment.
“When I got the call a couple weeks ago indicating that the HR Department was finally ready, it was possibly the best day of my life because I believe that for you to do what you do, there needs to be a level of dignity. There needs to be a level of consistency, and there needs to be a level of humanity that allows you to get up every day and run into the dungeon that you run into, which is the healthcare system.”
Thanking the Health Secretary for her diligence and commitment, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Registered Nurses Association Idi Stuart said it was a long fight.
“We fought because we believe that nursing and midwifery personnel deserve stability. We fought because insecurity cannot exist with excellence, and today that fight bears fruit. We stand here because of purposeful advocacy, not aggression, not protest alone, but strategic, disciplined, focused advocacy. This moment did not happen by chance. It happened because of leadership, partnership, and follow-through.”
The TRHA officials said the permanency offer will be made to other staff of the RHA.