Shocking reports of healthcare workers being labelled “monkeys” and being physically abused by guests at managed isolation facilities (MIQ) are emerging as a nursing union demands change.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) organiser Sharleen Rapoto said the abuse healthcare workers were receiving at MIQ facilities was an ongoing issue.
“Our nurses and assistants are getting shouted and sworn at and hear racist comments. It’s really nasty and uncalled-for.”
Rapoto said the incidents were happening across all MIQs but employees were afraid to report them because of a perceived lack of support from some district health board (DHB) management teams.
“They raise issues and put in formal complaints, but they don’t get addressed. They are often told to just suck it up and get on with it.”
She said the change in MIQ management from healthcare agency Geneva to the DHBs late last year was a “complete disaster”, with entire teams quitting.
One whistleblower, who spoke to Stuff on condition of anonymity, said she and her colleagues had endured a steady stream of abuse.
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The healthcare assistant said most guests were grateful, but some had called staff b....es and immigrant nurses were copping racist comments from angry guests regularly.
Some guests demanded an “English” or a “Kiwi” nurse perform their nasal swab test because they did not think the nurse they had was capable of doing the test correctly.
The assistant, who earnt just above the minimum wage of $18.90 an hour from the Counties-Manukau DHB, had heard colleagues being called “monkeys”. One colleague was recently slapped by a guest, which caused him much angst because he was afraid he might contract Covid-19.
Much of the abuse went unreported because immigrant workers were worried it might affect their immigration status, she said.
She had refused to work at Auckland’s Jetpark MIQ – where infectious cases were quarantined – because there was no additional pay for the risks staff were taking. Many of her colleagues were struggling to get by while their union fought to get them living wage.
“Especially solo mothers who really have to ration their money. It’s depressing and sad.”
The workers were also having to deal with suicidal people and those self-harming, which took a significant emotional toll on their own mental wellbeing.
Figures released recently to Stuff under the Official Information Act revealed police had attended 25 family harm call-outs and 22 self-harm incidents since MIQs began. All but six of the call-outs were in Auckland.
“If any of them feels they are being subjected to unacceptable behaviour I would ask that they raise it immediately so that it can be dealt with.”
A Northern Region Health Coordination Centre spokesperson said New Zealanders should be grateful for the work the healthcare workers did to keep the public safe.
She said Auckland DHB was working with the NZNO on several initiatives to address pay rates.
Canterbury DHB Covid-19 response executive lead Melissa Macfarlane said two incidents involving verbal abuse towards staff while swab testing had been reported from MIQs in Christchurch.
“Abuse towards our staff is never OK and is not tolerated. However, the fact only two incidents have been recorded in MIQ facilities is a testament to the processes in place to support staff.”
NZNO Canterbury organiser Danielle Davies said she had not heard of any abuse in Christchurch facilities outside “what normally happens in hospitals and facilities”.
Davies said members would deal directly with their charge nurse if they experienced any problems.
Canterbury DHB has been approached for comment.
