Nurses claim healthcare crisis in hospitals

Nurses claim healthcare crisis in hospitals

(Photo by David Greene)

By David Greene

 

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 21- Dozens of nurses held demonstrations outside local hospitals and are now headed to get the attention of lawmakers in Albany-- charging that hospitals are dangerously understaffed and overcrowded.

 

According to Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, President of the New York State Nurses Association and a registered nurse at Montefiore Hospital, "Montefiore, unfortunately what they've done is instead of opening up units, they've crushed people together."

 

Gonzalez explained, "They actually admit patients instead of to a room, a stretcher in a hallway on patient units and the conditions are horrible."

 

On April 16, members demonstrated outside several area hospitals seeking support for the 18,000 nurses whose contract expired in January, as well as for the five patients a day on every floor of the hospital, who Gonzalez says must wait in a hallway for an open bed.

 

Gonzalez, who works in the emergency room, painted a frightening picture, stating, "We have patients waiting on respirators for two days. Not every day, not always. But often we have patients waiting for days on end for beds."

 

Charging that area hospitals have "manipulated" Department of Health regulations that permitted patients to be temporarily housed in hallways, Gonzalez claims that the temporary housing of patients has now become standard practice.

 

Gonzalez continued, "What's happening in New York City and actually all over the country is that the bigger and so called more successful hospitals... are taking over other hospitals and all these hospitals are combining all our other services and with the state pushing, are also closing beds and community hospitals."

 

Gonzalez concluded, "We feel it shouldn't be a tale of two health cares. If you don't have healthcare and money, your regulated to wait in hallway beds or a crowded E.R. ... but if you have connections your cared for a little different and we think that's immoral."

 

Gonzalez added "Many of the politicians have come out in our support, but Montefiore is very powerful and very few of them are willing to confront Montefiore."

 

Nurses from across the city will be boarding nearly 30 buses and heading to Albany on April 21, in hopes of getting staffing ratio guidelines placed in their new contracts as well as seeking passage of new legislation tailored to patients rights.

 

Calls to the New York City Health and Hospital's Corporation and Montefiore Hospital were not immediately returned.  

 

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