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Doctor shortage debate

The parliamentary opposition is urging the government to immediately find resources to hire young qualified doctors who are now out of work due to what it claims is a budgetary shortfall affecting the country's regional health authorities.

That claim of financial constraints has been denied by the government.

The lead story in the Sunday Gleaner reported that scores of interns are now unemployed as hospitals are not able to hire the medical professionals due to budgetary constraints caused by the coronavirus.

The Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA) has also slammed the decision.

In an interview on Sunday with Radio Jamaica News, Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr Morais Guy described the situation as unacceptable due to the chronic shortage of doctors in the public health sector.

Dr Guy said Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton must address the crisis.

Statement

In response, the Ministry of Health & Wellness issued a statement on Sunday afternoon, denying that there’s any fiscal constraint on filling the posts that are currently on the establishment of the regional health authorities for doctors that are assigned to hospitals and health clinics.

It said the employment of medical doctors is based on a recruitment and contracting process that seeks to identify the needs of the health facilities based on vacancies that are created by resignations, study leave, secondments and other forms of HR transactions within the public health sector.

The Ministry said it understands that there are delays in some facilities in the contracting of some doctors.

This, it said, was  due to administrative arrangements that are to be completed before contracts can be issued.

According to the health ministry, the vast majority of doctors that are to be offered contracts have started their assignment and are participating in the clinical programmes in the health facilities across the island.

In the major health region - South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) - a total of 92 doctors completed their training on June 30, 2020, the ministry disclosed.

It added that a pool of these doctors were interviewed for Medical Doctor positions, and to date, approval has been given for 24 of these individuals to assume duties on or before Tuesday, July 14, on a replacement basis. A total of 86 Medical Interns have been employed in SERHA as at July 6, based on a listing received from the Ministry of Health & Wellness.

The Ministry is seeking to assure the public that the full cadre of clinical staff at all facilities is being maintained during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

 



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