Doctors at Port Maria Hospital on sickout

By Kimone Witter    

 

Medical doctors employed to the Port Maria Hospital in St. Mary have reportedly called in sick.

 

This is reportedly due to them being overworked.

 

Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr. Morais Guy told Radio Jamaica News that there is now a delay in attending to patients. 

 

"The hospital has not been allocated the requisite number of doctors to work. The establishment calls for, I think, either 10 or 11, and currently there are only five doctors who are on duty...and the team. So basically, the SMO is the one right now who is running the hospital solely," he revealed. 

 

Dr. Guy said the matter needs to be urgently addressed as there is no shortage of doctors in the country. 

 

"They are doctors who are awaiting contracts from the government, and you will recall recently the minister announced that there is going to be an increase in the number of cadre of doctors, that the establishment has been increased by the Ministry of Finance, and that as of two weekends ago, that they were supposed to be ads in the newspaper to attract doctors. 

 

"I know as a fact that doctors have applied prior to those two weeks ago, and have not been called for interviews and are still awaiting jobs. So the fact is that the ministry needs to act with greater alacrity. You cannot afford for the suffering people of this country to continue to suffer more because of ineptitude," he pleaded. 

 

When Radio Jamaica News visited the Port Maria Hospital, a woman who brought her father for treatment said she was informed that no doctor was on duty.

 

"After him do him vital, the nurse say that the doctor is not available at this time and she can't tell me when he'll be available. Then I hear that they are in a meeting, so they just [need to] tell wi the truth weh a gwaan. Simple as that," she complained.   

 

Last month, Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton announced the creation of more than 900 new posts for doctors in the public health sector.