10,000 HSE support staff at 38 hospitals are set to take part in 24 hours of industrial action, after there were no moves to break the deadlock between SIPTU and health service management side over pay.

While some contingency cover is being agreed at local level in the 38 affected hospitals, the strike is expected to disrupt scheduled inpatient procedures, scopes and theatre activity, as well as outpatient appointments and even catering.

Patients facing cancellations are being notified by individual hospitals, but the HSE has previously acknowledged that the dispute will ultimately contribute to longer waiting lists, as did the strike by nurses and midwives earlier this year.

More than 2,000 surgical and scope procedures and outpatient appointments have been cancelled on Wednesday as a result of a 24-hour strike by 10,000 health care workers in a dispute over pay.

The HSE said the industrial action has created a challenging situation that is having a “significant impact” on patient services at 38 hospitals and facilities across the State.

It said difficulties had arisen since the strike began at 8am in maintaining “essential daily care” for inpatients such as nutrition, hydration, transfer of patients, cleaning and infection control.

A planned strike by 10,000 healthcare support staff is to go ahead on Wednesday and the HSE expects it will have a significant impact on services in 38 hospitals across the State.

The action is to take place after talks between health service management and Siptu at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) failed to end with a resolution to a dispute about pay for workers such as healthcare assistants, laboratory aides, chefs and porters.

Patients are being contacted by their local hospitals or healthcare facilities in cases where a scheduled procedure or service will be affected.

A spokeswoman for the Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe said the strike’s consequences would be “extremely disruptive and distressing” for many patients.

Kementerian Kesehatan turut berduka cita atas meninggalnya salah satu tenaga kesehatan, Patra Marinna Jauhari, seorang perawat yang bertugas di Kampung Oya, Distrik Naikere, Kabupaten Teluk Wondama, Papua Barat. Kejadian tersebut menjadi bahan evaluasi pemerintah dan lintas sektor.

Almarhum meninggal diduga karena terserang malaria selama 2 hingga 3 minggu. Sekretaris Jenderal Kemenkes drg. Oscar Primadi, MPH menyampaikan rasa duka tersebut mewakili pemerintah pusat dan daerah.

”Kami dari Kemenkes merasa berduka dan prihatin atas kejadian ini. Kita harapkan ke depan tidak terjadi kembali,” kata Sekjen Oscar di salah satu stasiun TV nasional, Selasa (25/6) di Jakarta.

Warga di pedalaman Kabupaten Teluk Wondama, Papua Barat, mengenalnya dengan sebutan Mantri Patra. Nama lengkapnya Patra Marinna Jauhari. Panggilan jiwa sebagai seorang petugas medis bagi mereka yang terpinggir dan terlupakan, tak membuatnya berpikir dua kali ketika mendapat tugas di pedalaman Teluk Wondama.

Sudah empat 4 bulan lebih dia mengabdikan diri untuk masyarakat di Kampung Oya Distrik Naikere, Teluk Wondama. Dia memilih setia dalam tugas, di saat rekan kerjanya memutuskan pulang dan tak kembali lagi ke sana. Dalam kesendirian dan kesepian, Mantri Patra melayani warga hingga ajal menjemputnya.