Family members doing the nurse’s job

MY friend’s sister was recently admitted into a government hospital. My friend, who is a teacher, told me she had to take leave from work to look after her sister in the ward because the nurses there could not do the job.

I was flabbergasted upon hearing this! What I gather from friends everywhere is that patients will need someone to take care of them when they are admitted to public hospitals.

Apparently, the nurses are saying that they are too busy to care for the patients. Is this true? If so, isn’t it the job of nurses to take care of patients in the wards?

All of us work to earn our living. We are all busy but we are still expected to do our jobs properly.

How are people expected to take leave from work in order to be in the hospital to do the nurse’s work? Aren’t nurses also supposed to work to earn their living?

I am confused. This problem seems to exist in almost all government hospitals. I have seen people sleeping in corridors and sitting around with mats outside the wards because they need to be around for their loved ones.

Is this how it is supposed to be? Can someone please enlighten me?ANNE SWINITHA RAJARATNAM

Seremban