Port Maria Hospital back to normal after doctor shortage disrupts service

By Clinton McGregor 

   

Normality has returned to Port Maria Hospital in St. Mary following a shortage of doctors to provide patient care on Wednesday morning.

 

There were reports that medical doctors employed to the hospital had called in sick due to the heavy workload caused by the shortage of personnel.

 

But Senior Medical Officer at the hospital, Dr. Sydney Powell, insisted to Radio Jamaica News on Wednesday afternoon that there was "no sickout" but instead a shortage of medical doctors. 

 

He said the management is seek to correct the shortage of personnel.

 

"I can confirm that we have had a shortage which we are currently and have been working on that to fix that issue with doctors who opt to migrate, doctors who opt to ply their trade in another health region and, of course, doctors who get sick, as was the case this morning. Our current situation now is that now we would have rectified that problem and we are back up now operating and offering the services to the patients of the parish," he said. 

 

Dr. Powell admitted that the shortage of doctors has been a major challenge, but said the recruitment of doctors for Port Maria Hospital is underway. 

 

"That shortage is coming from or before we had the reclassification exercise. So the reclassification exercise was very comprehensive and that's sought to address the gaps not only for the hospital but for every hospital in secondary care and also for every clinic in primary care."

 

He said doctors are currently being interviewed for posts at the facility. 

 

Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr. Morais Guy has accused the Ministry of Health of failing to fulfil its mandate of ensuring that hospitals are sufficiently staffed.

 

Dr. Guy argued that there are enough trained medical doctors available in the system, adding that there is no shortage of doctors in the country. 

 

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