Five Filipino pharmacists dismissed

From Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday:
As the mixing of chemotherapy drugs resumed yesterday at the National Radiotherapy Centre, St James, five Filipino pharmacists were out of work after they were advised by the Health Ministry that their services were “no longer required”.

The termination of contract came after an “industrial relations problem” involving pharmacists at the NRC which resulted in intravenous chemotherapy being halted for scores of persons with cancer.

However, Newsday learnt that the persons whose contracts were terminated did not work at the NRC.

As he left the graduation ceremony for Registered Nurses, Midwives, and Nursing Assistants at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, Health Minister Jerry Narace said, “The matter is being resolved, and there are people treating with the pharmacists. A solution has been worked out,” Narace said to reporters. ...more

St James chemo patients blanked

From the Trinidad Express:
Chemotherapy patients at the St James Radiotherapy Clinic have been turned away because the pharmacists are not mixing the drugs.

According to the patients, who requested anonymity, clinic officials told them that the pharmacists had not been paid and as a direct result, they refused to do any work.

The patients, however, found this excuse to be ridiculous and called on Health Minister Jerry Narace to intervene.

"The doctors are seeing people, the nurses are seeing people, but yet no one can get therapy," one patient angrily said. ...more