Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Sep 19/05) - The union representing nurses and other workers at Hay River's hospital has blasted conditions at the facility.

Some patients in the combined extended and acute care unit are left sitting in their own feces because of nursing layoffs and shortages and insufficient government funding, charges the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Jean-Francois Des Lauriers, the union's regional executive vice-president, said the lone nurse in the long-term care unit is sometimes called to help with emergencies elsewhere in the hospital.

"The long-term facility is left with zero staff for hours," he said at a Sept. 15 news conference in Hay River. "That means you have people left in their feces for hours."

Paul Vieira, the CEO of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, said he has no knowledge of such an incident.

However, he added, "There will be emergencies when people are called away."

Vieira said there is an appropriate number of staff for the hospital's occupancy rate. "I would say to the public we continue to provide good service at the hospital."

Health and Social Services Minister Michael Miltenberger said he is not aware of such a situation.

"We'll take the appropriate steps to make sure it gets looked into," he said.

The minister noted contract negotiations between the union and the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority will begin soon, and the union's allegations might be more than coincidence.

"I have a tendency to make a bit of a link," he said.

The contract expired on March 31.

Des Lauriers said there used to be four nurses at the hospital at night, but that has has been cut to three, including one for eight patients in long-term care.

During the day, there are now four nurses, where there used to be five.

"People are getting exhausted," said Dustin Smith, the union's chief shop steward, noting many work extra hours each week to cover the staff shortages. "Eventually, it's going to burn these people out."

Smith said ideally the hospital should have 14 nurses, but he has never known it to have more than 10.

"I know that Hay River is struggling with vacancies of nurses and doctors, like every other community," Miltenberger said.

The issue facing the authority is to get spending under control, since there has been no funding cut by the territorial government, he added.

Of the health authority's $16-million annual budget, more than $14 million comes from the territorial government.

The union's news conference updated the effects of nine layoffs earlier this year caused by the authority's $550,000 budget deficit.

Des Lauriers said most were able to find alternate employment in the organization. For example, some moved to a seniors home.

However, morale at the hospital is still horrible and some nurses are looking elsewhere for work, he said.

The news conference was also a kick-off for a campaign to pressure the government to commit more funds to the Hay River health authority.

The union plans to circulate a petition and is calling for a meeting with Miltenberger.

However, the minister said a collective bargaining process is in place and it would be inappropriate to begin separate negotiations.

Miltenberger does plan to visit Hay River in the near future to meet the health authority board and possibly hold a community meeting.

Des Lauriers also objected to the health authority's plans to hire temporary contract nurses from a B.C. agency to deal with the nursing shortage.

"That's in direct contravention of the no-contracting-out provisions of the collective agreement," he said, adding a grievance will be filed.

The hiring of such nurses as casual employees is "appropriate and legitimate," said Miltenberger. "Because of our problems recruiting nurses, we sometimes go to agencies."

The minister said it's a contradiction that the union is making harsh allegations about service, while objecting to the contract nurses. "You can't suck and blow at the same time."