Following burglaries at PoS hospital living quarters...
By Kimberly Castillo
Story Created: Dec 14, 2011 at 11:57 PM ECT
CUBAN nurses are in fear for their lives following two separate
burglaries at their living quarters on the compound of the Port of Spain
General Hospital.
The Express spoke with the Cuban coordinator of doctors and two nurses,
who confirmed that last Friday evening, one of their colleagues returned
to her fourth-floor apartment from a night shift and discovered that
numerous items she had bought to send back to her family in Cuba had
been stolen.
These included Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) televisions, mobile phones
and appliances.
The terrified nurse also found a sheet and blade lying on top of a
barrel in her apartment. A police report was made and officers visited
the apartment complex, where they dusted for prints.
Then, on Tuesday evening, thieves broke into another apartment on the
first floor of the building, taking shoes, a bank card, money and
appliances. The occupant was not at home at the time of the burglary.
The Express understands that in previous years, there have also been
one-off incidents of burglaries at the apartment complex.
The majority of nurses who were staying at the nurses' living quarters
have returned to their home in Cuba in recent months, but a handful of
nurses will remain in the apartment building until their contracts
expire next month.
A new batch of Cuban health workers arrived in Trinidad last week. Many
of them are expected to take up residence in the very same apartment
building.
The nurses staying there at present say the issue of security must be
addressed urgently.
"Something needs to be done to make us feel secure. We sacrifice and
leave our families back home to come here for work, so we want to feel
safe," said one nurse.
Since the break-ins, the nurses say they are unable to sleep and are in
constant fear for their lives.
They say they are counting down the days until they return home, while
some have said fervently they will never return to Trinidad.
"What would have happened to me if I came home while someone was in my
apartment? I could have been killed. I could never tell my mother what
has happened. She can't know about this. She is old and would be
concerned for my safety. She would want me to leave and come home
immediately," said one nurse, who asked to remain anonymous.
Aside from missing burglar proofing, on the adjoining verandah of each
apartment, there are no additional security features such as alarms or
close-circuit television cameras. For safety, the Cuban nurses must rely
on security guards.
These guards, in turn, should be held accountable, said Health Minister
Fuad Khan, when contacted for a response. When the Express spoke with
Khan, he said he had not received word about the burglaries.
"We must reassess the security and put cameras on the compound that will
pick up these culprits," said Khan.
"Everybody should be guaranteed safety at our hospitals. A lot of money,
in fact millions of dollars are spent contracting security firms to
guard the hospitals and they are supposed to do their job, so the
security firm should discipline its workers. I blame poor security for
the incidents," said Khan.
"I would hate for this to cause a souring of relationships between their
country and ours," he added.
Up to press time, attempts to contact Cuban Ambassador Humberto Rivero
Rosario for comment were unsuccessful.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Cuban_nurses_living_in_fear-135633178.html
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