The GMOA’s branch at the Colombo National
Hospital yesterday protested that nurses of its accident service
ICU were attempting to tarnish the image of a consultant
surgeon.
All he had attempted was an improvement of
service, but the nurses had slung abuse at him and attempted to
assault him Dr. Thusitha Perera branch secretary said.
Explaining the sequence of events which led to
the nurses of the NHSL picketing on Tuesday he said that the
particular Consultant surgeon had started his normal duties at
the Accident Service on Monday night at the ICU. "During the
ward round he stopped to have a lengthy discussion regarding a
critical patient with the Medical Officer In Charge (MOIC) of
the ICU. However when he looked around for the nurse in charge
of the patient concerned she and the rest of the nurses in the
ICU were around the Matron having another discussion.
"The Matron too was doing her ward rounds
simultaneously and the particular consultant surgeon had made a
request that she did not coincide her ward rounds with his as it
was an interference for both parties," Perera pointed out.
Later on the consultant who did the evening
rounds came into brief the night-on-call surgeon in question on
the care of that particular patient. They looked for a nurse to
instruct her on the patient’s care for the second time and once
again all the nurses of the ICU had vacated their posts and were
in one corner of the ICU deep in conversation, Perera claimed.
The surgeon in question then called the nurse in
charge of the patient to take care of him (the patient), he
explained
It was then that two male nurses came forward
pointing their fingers and abusing this particular surgeon — as
if to assault him, the Secretary said. However the MOIC of the
ICU and the consultant who did the evening round were able to
hold them (the two nurses) back and settle the issue for the
moment. The NOCS was able to complete his ward round
subsequently. "However on leaving the ward he informed the
Director of the Hospital, Dr. Hector Weerasinghe, the Assistant
Director of the Accident Service, Dr. Anil Jasinghe and myself,"
Dr. Perera said.
The Secretary pointed out that he had advised
the Consultant Surgeon to make an official complaint.
However when the NOCS went to make the official
complaint he was met with further insults from the nurses. "They
did not even give him the relevant complaint book — another book
was given to him instead. When he repeated his request for the
relevant book all nurses (including male nurses present in the
ICU at the time) once again walked towards him threateningly,
Dr. Perera claimed.
