Mahigit isang libong Pilipinong nurse ang nakibahagi sa unang araw ng welga nitong Lunes ng tinatayang 15,000 private nurses mula sa tatlong pangunahing hospital system sa New York City.
Isinagawa ang walkout matapos mabigo ang mga negosasyon kaugnay ng mga panawagan para sa mas mataas na kompensasyon at mas maayos na benepisyo sa kalusugan, na hinihingi ng grupo ng mga nurse.
Hinaing ng mga nurse, kulang pa rin ang mga tauhan sa mga ospital na nagdudulot ng seryosong pangamba sa kaligtasan ng parehong mga healthcare worker at mga pasyente.
Ayon kay Lorena Vivas, isang intensive care unit nurse na dalawang dekada nang nagtatrabaho sa Mount Sinai Hospital, ang pagprotekta sa mga manggagawa at pasyente ang pangunahing isyung dapat tugunan ng pamunuan ng ospital.
“We are here to protect the safety of patients, so we will not be complicit in their plans. If nurses are outside, people should know that something inside is wrong. Being here means we are actually protecting public safety. We are not to blame for hospitals that systematically understaff and cut benefits. We are here to fight for public safety and for healthcare benefits. In fact, we are on the side of keeping the public safe,” giit ni Vicas.
Samantala, sinabi naman ni Rosalita Feldman, nurse sa Montefiore Hospital sa Bronx, na makatwiran ang kanilang mga kahilingan at umaasa siyang tutugonan ito ng pamunuan ng ospital.
“Our demand is safety for our nurses, which will result in safety for our patients. In some hospitals, nurses and doctors are being attacked, and it’s in the news. We want safety for ourselves, and that will mean safety for our patients. We want safe staffing, and with safe staffing comes patient safety. I’m not worried. We’re not asking for something difficult. We’re asking for our patients and ourselves to be safe at the same time,” saad ni Feldman.
Sampung ospital sa ilalim ng NewYork-Presbyterian, Mount Sinai, at Montefiore — kung saan nagtatrabaho ang maraming Pilipinong nurse— ang kasali sa welga.
Sa isang mensaheng ipinadala ni New York Consul General Senen Mangalile sa GMA Integrated News, nagpahayag ng pag-asa ang Konsulado ng Pilipinas na maaayos agad ang sigalot ng New York State Nurses Association at pamunuan ng mga ospital.
“The Consulate is proud of the skill set and work ethic of Filipino nurses working in New York hospitals. We are confident that their employers are similarly aware of the sterling qualities of our nurses. We hope these will be considered as negotiations continue and that an outcome favorable to all concerned will be reached soon,” ayon kay Mangalile.
Nagdeklara naman si New York State Governor Kathy Hochul ng state of emergency upang matiyak ang kalusugan ng publiko at kaligtasan ng mga pasyente.
Nakasaad sa deklarasyon na, “an imminent strike of nursing personnel will cause several hospitals in the state to experience severe staffing shortages, affecting the availability and delivery of care, threatening public health and safety, and the ability to provide critical care.” — Dave Llavanes Jr./FRJ GMA Integrated News
