Mt Hope faces afternoon shutdown

Chairperson of the PSA’s EWMSC branch, Yvonne de Peiza, told Newsday yesterday that workers at EWMSC will be working from 8 am to 12.30 pm today.

She said after 12.30 pm, the workers will don red attire and travel to the Health Ministry’s headquarters on Park Street to lend support to the PSA team that is expected to meet with Rahael at 1.30 pm.

De Peiza said the union’s team will be led by PSA president Jennifer Baptiste-Primus who returned last week from the World Cup in Germany. She was one of the thousands of TT nationals who had gone to Germany to support the Soca Warriors. Asked whether any North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA), officials would be present at today’s meeting, De Peiza said the union has received no word about this but she would not be surprised if NCRHA CEO Charles Mitchell is present.

De Peiza said the union did not believe that today’s meeting will resolve all of the workers’ concerns but was optimistic that it would be a start. Asked about the PSA’s plans should today’s meeting go awry, De Peiza said the union would advise the workers accordingly once the meeting was over.

She also indicated that there was no guarantee that any of the EWMSC workers who go to Port-of-Spain today would return to work in the afternoon and this could result in some services at Mt Hope being curtailed or shut down completely.

Contacted yesterday, ministry officials were unaware of any meeting today between the PSA and Rahael. They however indicated that a meeting was scheduled today between the PSA and the NCRHA but were uncertain of the exact time and venue of that meeting. Meanwhile, Medical Professional Association of TT president (MPATT) Dr Chunilal Ramjit told Newsday that all doctors at EWMSC have reported for duty and are continuing to do so.

Ramjit added that the doctors are staying clear of the current protest at the facility.