The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has launched a scathing critique of the Mottley administration, accusing it of failing to protect nurses and healthcare workers amid escalating threats and violence in medical institutions. In a sharply worded statement on Wednesday, Opposition Senator Andre Worrell, the DLP’s Health and Wellness spokesperson and candidate for St Michael Central, lambasted the government for its inaction, asserting that nurses are being left exposed while the Ministry of Health “hides behind excuses.” Worrell’s remarks coincide with ongoing negotiations between the Barbados Nurses Association (BNA), the Unity Workers Union (UWU), and the Ministry of Health and Wellness, which have entered their second week, focusing on improved security and working conditions. Highlighting recent violent incidents, including the stabbing of a nurse at the Psychiatric Hospital and attacks at Randal Phillips and Glebe Polyclinics, Worrell argued that these events underscore the government’s failure to safeguard frontline healthcare staff. “A nurse being stabbed on duty is not an ‘isolated act of aggression.’ It is the direct consequence of a government that refuses to prioritise the safety of its frontline workers,” he declared. The DLP senator also criticized acting Permanent Secretary Wayne Webster for what he termed a “tepid” statement, issued after Webster warned of potential service disruptions due to a planned BNA meeting. Worrell accused the Ministry of downplaying the severity of the issue and condemned Health Minister Dr Jerome Walcott and Junior Minister Davidson Ishmael for their silence, noting that neither had denounced the violence nor promised immediate corrective measures. “Their silence is an indictment of this government’s neglect of those who care for us in our most vulnerable moments,” he stated. Furthermore, the DLP questioned the government’s spending priorities, pointing to expenditures on cultural events and overseas trips while alleging insufficient investment in healthcare worker safety. “This is not a matter of resources — it is a matter of priorities,” Worrell emphasized, calling the allocation of one security guard per clinic “a disgrace.” The opposition is now urging the Ministry to swiftly implement robust security measures across all health institutions.