Nurses in jitters

NURSES at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, particularly those at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), say they are working under tremendous pressure, following last Wednesday’s shooting of three people at Movie Towne, Audrey Jeffers Highway.

One of the three, Lincoln Alexis, aka Salim Rashid, 32, is in critical condition at the ICU and doctors have told police that his prognosis is poor. Alexis is an expelled member of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen. Jillia Bowen, 31, of Nelson Street, Port-of-Spain, was fatally shot in the attack, while her common-law husband, Clive “Wolfie” Lewis, aka Adil Ghani, 36, is in Ward 54 of the same medical institution. He sustained bullet wounds to his lower body and is reported to be “serious but stable”. At the city hospital yesterday, nurses told Sunday Newsday that they are working under intense pressure. They said that people in Muslim wear are “coming and going” to and from the hospital and they aren’t certain what could happen.  Added to that, one of them said, there are only two police officers posted at the ICU department. “Those people (Muslims) can overpower those two little policemen anytime and they (Muslims) are here all the time.  You don’t know who is who.  We are still working but under tremendous fear and we are hearing all kinds of things,” the nurses told Sunday Newsday.

Head of security at the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) Kenneth Doldron admitted in an interview that nurses are panicking because of the reported potential gang war as a result of the shootings. “It’s not an easy situation to deal with. They (nurses) are fearful because of how the Muslim people operate. Is shoot people shooting,” Doldron said. Doldron added that everytime the nurses see something untoward, they will call in the police. The senior officers added that they are only responsible for the ICU patient and that the hospital’s internal security is in charge of visitors. Notwithstanding this, senior officers said all visitors are screened before entering the ICU department. They also said that they are having a serious manpower problem. The senior officers pointed out that a total of 12 police officers guard Alexis in 24 hours. This means that the two duty officers work four-hour shifts.  Ghani, police said, is also under police guard, but only one officer is assigned to him. Meantime, investigators working on the Bowen killing said they are yet to make a major breakthrough in their enquiries. Sgt Nandram Moonilal of the St James Criminal Investigations Department is continuing investigations, which is being spearheaded by acting Sr Supt Stephen Quashie, head of the Western Division.