Fate of over 20 Linden ambulatory staff in limbo

The fate of over 20 Linden ambulatory staff attached to the St John’s Ambulance Brigade in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) is presently in limbo as plans are afoot to terminate their contracts.
A number of ambulance attendants are currently voicing concerns, alleging that they were recently made aware of a letter sent to a supervisor, allegedly by the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) stating that the services of the Ambulance Brigade will no longer be needed due to overstaffing at the hospital.
This publication understands that the ambulatory staff are not employed by the hospital but are contracted staff through the Ambulance Brigade.
The employees, mainly women, are presently calling on the relevant authorities to look into the situation as they fear being on the breadline.
Some of the workers have disclosed that they are single parents and pointed to the unavailability of jobs in the community, more so with the COVID-19 pandemic.
They have indicated that the person in charge is dealing with the issue of the letter which was allegedly sent and feedback on the way forward is expected within the new week.
The staff have also voiced concerns, stating that they were told that Patient Care Assistants (PCA) will be trained in their places. When contacted, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the LHC, Rudy Small noted, “What I can tell you is the ambulance service will continue at the hospital and will be done by highly trained LHC staff”.