Meeting called following strike action by junior doctors

 

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has intervened in the overtime pay dispute involving the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association and the Ministries of Health and Finance after some junior doctors took industrial action on Monday morning.

 

A meeting at the request of the Ministry of Health was scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Ministry of Labour's offices with all the parties.

 

Radio Jamaica News was informed that some of the doctors have called in sick which has affected operations at facilities including Bustamante Hospital for Children as well as Spanish Town and Princess Margaret hospitals.

 

Dr. Delroy Fray, Clinical Coordinator for the Western Regional Health, says critical services at all four hospitals in the region are being manned by senior doctors. 

 

"We were reliably informed early this morning that all junior doctors are on sickout. Now what impact does this have on us? A big impact. Currently, yesterday, we had 324 patients in hospital and in the hospital. What this means? Currently, we have a cadre of 33 consultants and staff. We have to now deploy the consultants and staff to man our Accident and Emergency departments and to look after our patients on the wards. So this is going to curtail our clinic activity, our elective admissions, and also, elective surgery to be done," he explained. 

 

Dr. Fray said non-emergency patients are being sent home. He urged members of the public to monitor the media to hear when normal operations have resumed.

 

He has also called for the issue to be resolved as quickly as possible. 

 

"Now, it is very important for the public to know that we cannot maintain this beyond 24 to 48 hours, because we are going to get tired. So I'm making

a strong plea, that whatever is necessary to resolve this issue, we would love to see it end by this evening. I'm making a strong plea for this because it is going to be severe impact on our patients," he warned. 

 

The JMDA said up to Sunday, the government had failed to respond to an ultimatum for the completion of discussions on overtime remunerations.

 

The doctors have expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed rate for calculating overtime.

 

SERHA 

 

Lascelles Brown, Regional Director for the South East Regional Health Authority, said absenteeism by junior doctors is widespread across all public health facilities.

 

Mr. Brown said health centers and hospitals in Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Catherine and St. Thomas have been negatively affected.

 

He said consultants and a few junior doctors are carrying out services in Accident and Emergency departments, while most outpatient clinics at hospitals have been cancelled.

 

Curative clinics in most health centres have been cancelled and emergency cases are being referred to the hospitals.

 

 

The Ministry of Health & Wellness said health facilities islandwide have begun to operate under emergency protocols, due to the industrial action by junior doctors.

 

This means while emergency rooms remain open, outpatient services and elective surgeries have been significantly scaled down or otherwise suspended.

 

Primary care facilities or health centres have also been affected.

 

The Ministry said so far Monday, there has been a reported 16 per cent doctor turnout in primary care in the Western Regional Health Authority and 28 per cent in the North East Regional Health Authority.

 

The Southern Regional Health Authority has reported a 36 per cent turnout, while for Kingston and St. Andrew the turnout is 18 per cent and St. Thomas, 66 per cent.

 

At the same time, there are some primary care and secondary care facilities that have reported as high as 100 per cent no show for their junior doctors.

 

The ministry said every effort is being made to mitigate the impact of these actions on the health system.