TEMPLE, Texas — Hospital staff at Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in Temple feel that throughout the coronavirus pandemic they have been unable to safely and properly carry out their jobs.
Acorrding to Adrienne Rias, a nurse at the VA, this comes in the form of both lack of pay and PPE.
"Some nurses wear the same mask for five work days," Rias said. "And some wear them for three work days; it just depends what unit you are in."
She said at the start of the pandemic they were told staff members would receive a fresh mask every day, but as time went on, they were told they needed to save them.
"Someone in another unit had sweat through their mask and I offered them one of mine," Rias said. "Then I was told by my supervisor no."
According to Rias, her unit has six nurses and in total they received 50 masks for the month of May.
6 News reached out to the VA on this matter. In a statement, they responded saying:
"Central Texas Veterans Health Care System is currently adhering to the same CDC contingency capacity postures the CDC recommends all health care facilities use, and all employees continue to have the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), as per those guidelines."
PPE isn't the only thing that has staff members frustrated. Several said they aren't receiving the pay they were initially promised at the start of the pandemic.
"They told many nurses they would receive hazard pay and retention pay," Rias said.
When Central Texas wasn't hit as hard with COVID-19 as the agency originally thought they pulled those bonuses back.
"They did not tell us that if we didn't hit a certain number that they would not pay us the retention bonus," Rais said. "Many nurses would have went to New York or Seattle to make the extra money."
In regard to the hazard pay the VA said in a statement:
"Hazard pay is to compensate employees when risks cannot be reasonably mitigated and employees cannot be safely protected, and that is the opposite of the current environment at Central Texas Veterans Health Care System."
Rais and 21 other staff members picketed outside of the VA on Friday morning at in hopes of informing the public as well as grab the attention of the agency.
"They know we were out there and they need to know we are uncomfortable with the solutions they have come up with," Rais said. "I hope to have a meeting with them so I can let them know what I think needs to be done."
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