The shock suspension of 14 Cook Island nurses after this month’s successful South Pacific Nurses Forum was quickly reversed but left a number ‘emotionally shaken’, reports the Cook Island News.
The Cook Island News reported on Tuesday October 23 that 14 members of the Cook Island Nurses Association (CINA) had been suspended by the Secretary of Health on October 22 until further notice. It was understood that the suspensions were due to CINA organisers not following VIP protocols over which Cook Island officials were invited to the opening of the 19th South Pacific Nursing Forum on October 15 which was attended by hundreds of nursing leaders from across the Pacific including New Zealand and Australia.
On Wednesday October 24 the Cook Island News reported that all 14 nurses had been reinstated after a follow-up meeting on the evening of Monday October 22 with the health secretary.
Cook Islands Nurses Association (CINA) president Nga Manea is reported saying that some returned to work that evening but others had been “emotionally shaken” by their suspension and had taken annual leave to recover from the incident.
