NEW YORK CITY - Nasa 1,000 Filipino nurses ang apektado ng tigil trabaho ng mahigit 7,000 na nurse mula sa dalawang ospital sa New York City.

Hindi nagtrabaho ang mahigit 7,000 nurses sa Montefiore Medical Center sa Bronx at Mount Sinai Hospital na isa sa pinakamalaking ospital sa New York matapos na hindi magkasundo ang management ng dalawang ospital at New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) sa implementation ng karagdagang nurses na ilang taon nang nakabinbin.

Alas-sais ng umaga oras sa New York nitong Lunes nang mag-strike ang libo-libong nurses sa dalawang ospital na naging sanhi para maparalisa ang operasyon ng mga ito.

Ilang taon nang hinihiling ng NYSNA sa pamunuan ng dalawang ospital ang staffing implementation. Matagal na itong nakabinbin sa management ng Mount Sinai Hospital.

Ayon sa nurse na si Lorena Vivas, NYSNA executive committee member para sa Mount Sinai Hospital na nakausap ng GMA Integrated News, hindi pumayag ang management ng Mount Sinai Hospital sa staffing implementation kaya nauwi sa deadlock ang negosasyon.

“Ayaw nila sa staffing implementation. 'Yan ang problema namin. This is not about the money. What this is about is safe staffing. Ang gusto namin ma-ensure na magtatrabaho kami na sapat ang staff kasi ang nangyayari ngayon ang vacancy namin 550 (nurses). Ano ang ibig sabihin niyan? 'Pag nasa ICU ka, legally dalawa lang dapat ang inaalagaan mo. Eh naging apat. On top of that, kulang ang staff. Karamihan sa amin nagtatrabaho ng 24 hours kasi naaawa kami sa maiiwan na shift. Sa emergency room kapag nagpunta kayo doon, 20 pasyente per nurse. Paano mo maaalagaan 'yun?” aniya.

Sabi naman ni Pilar Liwanag na isang special unit nurse sa Mount Sinai Hospital, nakokompromiso na ang safety ng mga pasyente.

"Kasi taga-special unit kami so galing kami ng ICU. Ang ratio kasi usually one nurse is to two [patients] eh. Ngayon triple, quadruple. Patients are very very sick so how can you manage four very very sick patients kung isa ka lang? Eh dapat two patient lang…We don't want to compromise patient safety. At stake safety ng license namin,” ani Liwanag.

Isa ring special unit nurse si Rosa Magbanlac. Ayon sa kanya, umiiwas lang sa accountability ang management ng ospital kaya ayaw nitong ipatupad ang staffing implementation. 

"Ang safe staffing kasi ayaw pumayag ng management na magbigay ng grid ratio. 'Pag walang grid ratio, they are not accountable for anything. That’s what happened to previous contract where there was shortage of staff in all the units. ICU patient [ratio is] like three is to 1 for nurse. This should be two. And some clinically sick patient instead of 1 is to 1 they give more patients. It's very unfair. And emergency department is short of staff. All the units are short of staff so the nurses are very tired now. Enough is enough,” aniya.

Nakipag-ugnayan na sa dalawang ospital ang Department of Health and Human Resources para alamin kung paano maaayos ang problema.

Tinitignan na rin ng New York Attorney General kung may mga paglabag na nagawa ang dalawang ospital.

Sa isang statement naman, sinabi ng Philippine Consulate General sa New York na umaasa ito na agad na mareresolba ang isyu sa pagitan ng management ng Montefiore Medical Center at Mount Sinai Hospital at ng mga nurses.

"The Philippine Consulate General in New York supports the clamor of Filipino-American nurses, employed in Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, for better wages and working conditions," ani statement.

"When New York City became the epicenter of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, our kababayan nurses stayed true to their oath to care for the sick and the dying, sometimes at the expense of their very own lives. For their compassion, dedication, and selflessness, their call for better employment terms and conditions should be heeded," dagdag nito.

"We look forward to a mutually acceptable resolution to the strike and hope that all dispute resolution avenues be exhausted to ensure the healthcare of New Yorkers and the recognition of the indispensable role of our nurses who are at the forefront of patient care," sabi ng Konsulada.

Ayon sa isang ulat ng Reuters, naglabas na ng mga statement ang nasabing dalawang ospital at sinabing nag-offer na sila ng 19.1% compounded wage increase sa mga nurses.

Maglalagay din daw ng 170 na bagong nursing position ang Montefiore Medical Center.

"We remain committed to seamless and compassionate care, recognizing that the union leadership’s decision will spark fear and uncertainty across our community," sabi ng ospital.

Samantala, kinailangang i-reschedule ang mga elective surgery at procedure at i-postpone naman ang mga appointment sa ambulatory locations, dagdag ng Montefiore.

Sinabi naman ng Mount Sinai Hospital na tuloy lang ang marami sa mga outpatient appointment at procedure na dati nang nai-schedule. —KG, GMA Integrated News