Barbados’s healthcare system is confronting an escalating nursing crisis that threatens to destabilize medical services nationwide. The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) issued a stark warning that the government’s international recruitment initiatives will prove insufficient unless immediate measures are implemented to retain local nursing talent.
Union representative Mechell Marshall emphasized that nurses have operated under extreme pressure for years due to chronic understaffing, excessive patient loads, and constrained resources—particularly evident at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and within primary healthcare facilities. This assessment follows Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s recent disclosure that Barbados faces a deficit of approximately 200 nurses across its public health infrastructure, prompting urgent international recruitment efforts.
Health authorities are actively pursuing nurses from African nations including Ghana, Kenya, and Ethiopia through the Health Partnership between Africa and the Caribbean (HEDPAC) program. However, the NUPW contends that merely filling vacancies overlooks the fundamental drivers of workforce migration.
According to union analysis, nurses are departing not from lack of patriotism but due to systemic challenges including professional burnout, unsustainable workloads, restricted career advancement opportunities, and inadequate compensation structures. The NUPW advocates for a comprehensive retention strategy featuring enhanced working conditions, transparent career pathways with specialized roles, increased investment in nursing education, and meaningful engagement with nursing representatives during healthcare reforms.
Marshall highlighted the critical importance of public health nursing training, describing it as the foundational access point for all healthcare services. While acknowledging that short-term recruitment of Ghanaian nurses with public health and midwifery training could provide interim relief, she stressed that long-term stability requires strengthening domestic training capabilities.
The union welcomed governmental recognition of nursing’s human-centered nature and the recent upgrading of primary healthcare facilities like the St Thomas Clinic. However, Marshall cautioned that infrastructure improvements without corresponding staffing investments risk undermining sustainability. The NUPW remains committed to collaborative efforts with government and stakeholders to build a resilient, people-centered healthcare system capable of delivering safe, compassionate care through adequately supported nursing professionals.