KHMU Newsletter No. 3 February 16, 2021 COVID-19 hospital workers’ fight kicked
off in front of Blue House
In amidst of the intense cold, workers
got into a protest: “We can’t hold out any longer. ROK President, solve the
issues responsibly!”
In the morning on 2nd, the
Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union (KHMU) opened the press conference to
declare the all-out fight’s kick-off and got into a protest for an indefinite
period.
Calling for increased manpower and
improved response system to infectious diseases, the KHMU urged the current
administration to: ▲ increase manpower capacity in COVID-19 hospitals ▲ set up
criteria for manpower needed by groups of symptom severity ▲ come up with a
fair support mechanism, and ▲ strengthen the public ownership of medical
services. In her opening speech, President Na
Soon-ja mentioned the manpower shortage in COVID-19 hospitals and added, “We
have called the government to take fundamental actions since last year but we
have saw no effective actions yet but words and plans only.” She also
emphasized the importance of extended public medical services and a sufficient
level of health workers in achieving a true K-quarantine system.
The branch head Kim Jung-eun at Seoul
Seonam Hospital shared such difficulties faced by on-site workers. Ms. Kim
said, “More and more workers decided to leave hospitals due to the tough
environment and heavy burdensome. But, the hospital management keep saying that
there’s no way to improve the conditions as we are in a national emergency
situation.” She also emphasized that it is necessary to establish a staffing
guideline in relation to COVID-19 and provide a full financial support for
labor cost that may incur due to additional employment. “Resignation of
experienced nursing staff is directly relevant to safety of patients. Improve
working environment so that nurses can continue to work,” Ms. Kim said.
The branch head Won Eun-ju at Sokcho
Medical Center said, “ In a very tough time last year, salary payment was even
delayed at the Medical Center.” According to Ms. Won, Sokcho Medical Center is
not only an infection specialized hospital but the only public clinic where
women can give birth in the region. Hence, the Center has been running
outpatient units and general wards besides the COVID-19 ward. Nonetheless, due
to such ridiculously insufficient indemnification for loss, the Center has been
going through financial difficulties.
“Perhaps due to heavy workload or constant
contact with COVID-19 patients, several nurses have tested positive for
COVID-19. Whenever pandemic occurred, the government came up with a new staffing
policy but the policies were not practical on site, not being a help for medical
staff at all. Worse, the government started discussing how to reduce the number
of sick beds for COVID-19 once the moment of crisis passed,” Ms. Won said.
In addition, she appealed to the
public, “I came out here as we will not be able to hold out for the fourth
pandemic once it occurs. Improve working conditions and benefits for infection
specialized hospitals and public workers and expand the employment quota in hospitals
so that they can safely and stably continue to work.”
The Vice President Lee Sun-hee at the
KHMU read aloud a press conference statement. She said, “We can’t help but to
ask what this administration has been doing for countermeasures to fundamentally
solve the staff shortage issue over the past year. It is urgent and necessary
to set up a staffing policy that can establish a proper response system to
possibly upcoming pandemics.”
Major requests by the KHMU include:
first, set up a staffing guideline for COVID-19 by severity levels (patients
with dementia, mental disorders and/or mobility issues, etc.) and provide
supports where necessary. Second, heighten a staffing quota level for public
medical institutions and provide financial support for labor cost. Third,
provide life and safety allowance to all healthcare workers at the front line
in the battle against COVID-19 and expand the assistance to any workers
involved in quarantine and anti-infection work to ensure there is no blind spot
which quarantine efforts cannot reach.
On the same day, after the press
conference, protesters opened a performance of wearing a red sash on a hazmat
suit. From that day, union members have been in protest before the Blue House
for 24 hours every day by groups in rotation. Protesters continue struggling in
front of the Korean presidential residence where neither a tent nor electricity
is permitted in this winter cold weather.
COVID-19 hospital workers’ fight kicked off in front of Blue House
by KANG,YeonBae posted Feb 16, 2021 Replies 0