Staff shortage at hospital as foreign nurses flee violence скачать в хорошем качестве

Staff shortage at hospital as foreign nurses flee violence

(21 May 2015) LEAD-IN: Volunteers are being called in to help at Benghazi's biggest hospital, because of serious staff shortages. The Benghazi Medical Centre relies heavily on foreign nurses, but many are fleeing the country as a result of the conflict that has engulfed Libya. STORY-LINE: The Benghazi Medical Centre is still treating patients when many other hospitals in the area have been forced to close. But the building bears the scars of the ongoing conflict in Libya - tiles are missing and bullet holes riddle the walls. The hospital is struggling to keep medical staff too. Around 300 nurses currently working here come from the Philippines. But that number used to be much higher - in the last three months alone 150 have resigned. Head Nurse Leo H. Tombo says the conflict means many do not want to stay in Libya. "Today we face so many problems, like the security and safety of the staff," he says. "Even if you're going outside you're not secure and you are not safe enough to go wherever you want," he continues. Problems with the banking system are also having an impact. "The second (reason) why foreign nurses are leaving - probably there is no money transfer, " Tombo says. "Even the staff that came here during the last year, even one year, they haven't had the chance to transfer their money to their families at home in the Philippines. I imagine their families are angry, because one year - no transfer of money." And salaries are decreasing in real terms. "At the same time the exchange rate of the dollar is increasing. What we can we do and buy with our salary?" he asks. "I have been here for the last five years and my salary is the same," Tombo adds. Some foreign nurses are still working here. But 80 percent of nursing roles usually filled by Filipinos are vacant. But Dr. Salem Langhi, Deputy Director of Benghazi Medical Centre, says many have already left. "Previously their embassies have asked them to leave the country when the crisis started. This was more than a year ago," he says. "And a few months later again ships arrived and evacuated some of them out of fear for their security that they might be harmed and hurt," he adds. The hospital management team has come up with a plan that goes someway to solving the staffing shortage. The centre is running courses to teach local volunteers medical skills. Najib Toware is one of the people who have signed up. "We have volunteered to this 1200 bed hospital (Benghazi Medical Centre). It was our wish and the wish of others to volunteer here, and now we are about 500 volunteers and we thank God," he says. Toware believes his efforts are helping to support the country. "Volunteering is like fighting, because when injured and the wounded come here and don't find nurses and doctors, this means there is no state, and this is one vital institution and it is one of the state institutions," he says. Dr. Essam Al-Dannah, Volunteer Training Program Coordinator, says medical staff and tutors from University of Benghazi run the courses "continually every week for four days, with 40 people per course". But he says the volunteers' role is limited. "What is important is that the volunteer doesn't take on the place of the nurse and carry out full duties. They become nursing assistants," he explains. If this army of trained volunteers can take over some of the more simple medical tasks it should give the centre's shrinking nursing staff more time to focus on complex patient care. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...