Surgery resumes after emergency electrical cover restored
Surgery will resume in Kerry General Hospital today after electricians, suspended during a row over the changing of a lightbulb, restored emergency cover.
Eleven elective procedures were postponed at the hospital over the last two days when medical staff feared for patient safety.
Meanwhile, fresh calls are being made for both parties to resolve the dispute which surrounds proposals by the health service to have orderlies and maintenance staff deal with small scale electrical tasks – including the changing of lightbulbs.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) South suspended 38 electricians – all members of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) – when they announced they were refusing to answer pagers and would only accept verbal instructions from their direct supervisor.
They claim it was in response to harassment by management.
Acute hospitals across the south and south east of the country in Counties Kerry, Cork, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny are affected by the dispute.
The cancellation of life or death or emergency cover at Kerry General Hospital and Mallow General Hospital has since been restored.
The TEEU urged the HSE to allow an independent, qualified person to arbitrate on the outstanding issues in their dispute.
“This is the obvious way forward and if the HSE is agreeable it will remove the current impasse,” said General Secretary Owen Wills.
However, Mr Wills accused health chiefs of continually misrepresenting the dispute as one about changing light bulbs.
He said negotiations were needed for on-call/call-out agreements, vacancies left unfilled, and monies owed to members, as well as what work is proper to TEEU members and what work can be done by others.
“This involves a lot more than changing light bulbs and there have been occasions when decisions by HSE managers to deploy unqualified staff to do the work of electricians, or fitters, have caused serious damage to hospital plant and equipment,” he added.
“Fortunately this has not yet led to any serious accidents.
“The issues involved are far more substantial and all of them need to be addressed calmly and rationally.”
