Hospital runs out of clean sheets

HEALTH Minister Frixos Savvides yesterday blamed bad programming and bureaucratic red tape for Nicosia general hospital running out of bed linen.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Savvides said the problem had arisen when laundry staff at the hospital refused to work overtime, citing second jobs. But he added that at least 300 sets of sheets would be delivered to the hospital this week.

“The issue unfortunately came up because the hospital asked the laundry staff to work overtime on some days to cover higher than usual needs. According to what the manager told me, the workers refused to because they were committed to second jobs.”

Savvides said more people would be employed with the laundry, on the strict understanding that they would be working only for the laundry and would be available for overtime whenever necessary.

The minister also said it was being investigated whether the current employees were allowed to have a second job. Public servants are not allowed to be employed elsewhere, but the staff at the laundry are not officially civil servants.

Savvides also said that he could also not rule out the handing over of the laundry service to the private sector.

Reports yesterday suggested patients at the hospital had had to bring pillowcases and sheets from home, with patients complaining of their sheets not being changed regularly and of many beds not being made at all.

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