The union representing Stanton Territorial HospitalSA国际影视传媒檚 nurses is unsure how many of its members were affected by a recent outbreak at the facility.
SA国际影视传媒淭he employer has not provided us with this information,SA国际影视传媒� said Union of Northern Workers President Gayla Thunstrom when asked how many workers had been infected or exposed to a known infection.
The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) announced on Jan. 11 that community transmission had been detected at the facility.
In a statement addressing the outbreak on Jan. 13, Thunstrom said the GNWT had shown SA国际影视传媒淸a] failure to effectively recruit and retain qualified healthcare professionalsSA国际影视传媒� throughout the pandemic. SA国际影视传媒淭his has been compounded by poor management of the precious resources we do still have,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
During a press conference on Dec. 1, NWT Health and Social Services Authority CEO Kim Riles said Stanton was operating at a baseline of 22-per-cent vacancy for nursing positions, due to a combination of resignations, retirements, and vacations. Between June and October of last year, a recruitment drive, assisted by an external hiring agency, yielded just four new hires.
In her statement, Thunstrom said the territory could be more competitive in recruiting and retaining qualified workers, but that this would require SA国际影视传媒渟ystemic change and producing actual plans for the short term, medium term, and long term.SA国际影视传媒�
Thunstrom elaborated in an email by saying SA国际影视传媒淲e believe that all healthcare and frontline workers should be eligible for an equitable compensation premium added to their hourly wage for the duration of COVID.SA国际影视传媒�
She said access to childcare has also been a persistent problem for staff: SA国际影视传媒淭he employer could have looked at creative solutions here a lot earlier, but clearly it is not too late,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
SA国际影视传媒淯nless we see some immediate and concrete action from the GNWT, the Union fears itSA国际影视传媒檚 only a matter of time before we see more reductions in services, units merging or shutting down,SA国际影视传媒� ThunstromSA国际影视传媒檚 statement read.
She could not say which services or departments were most vulnerable to being shut down but added, SA国际影视传媒淚t would not surprise us to see more disruptions to non-emergency services in the coming days.SA国际影视传媒�
Thunstrom estimates about 420 union members currently work at Stanton but says information from the GNWT on the number of workers is SA国际影视传媒渄ifficult to break down accuratelySA国际影视传媒� and usually doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 reach the Union until two months after it happens.
In her statement, Thunstrom encouraged residents to support the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 healthcare workers by writing to their representatives in the Legislative Assembly or local news outlets.
A spokesperson for the GNWT did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
A previous version of this story stated that SA国际影视传媒渋nformation from the GNWT on workplace infections is SA国际影视传媒榙ifficult to break down accuratelySA国际影视传媒� and usually doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 reach the Union until two months after it happens.SA国际影视传媒� The information was actually related to the number of Union of Northern Workers members employed at Stanton.
