STALEMATE

Medical consultants say that they will continue to withdraw their services today, as the Ministry of Finance has yet to address their concerns regarding the absence of a committed timeline for retroactive salary payments under the new compensation framework.

Yesterday, clinics and hospitals across the island faced disruptions as medical consultants reportedly took “mental health days”.

”We were hoping that we would have heard something from the Ministry of Finance that would help to reassure our members, in terms of the payment of retroactive salaries. We have not heard that, and, therefore, we were unable to soothe the sorrows of our members, so I suspect that [Tuesday], we will continue to see our members not feeling well,” Dr Myrton Smith, an executive member of the Association of Government Medical Consultants (AGM C), told The Gleaner late yesterday evening.

Smith said the association has approximately 500 members.

Medical consultants are the highest-trained specialist physicians, who provide expert advice and guidance to other healthcare professionals. While junior doctors may be on the job, they work under the supervision of consultants.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Health & Wellness noted that clinical appointments at outpatient departments of hospitals were postponed until further notice and elective surgeries in public hospitals have been suspended, and patients will be advised of the new dates for these appointments.

The ministry encouraged patients to visit the nearest emergency department in life-threatening situations, and to contact primary care physicians otherwise.

Last week, AGMC rejected an offer from the Ministry of Finance to pay retroactive salaries between April and June this year.

The retroactive sums cover April 2022 to December 2024, arising from the compensation review.

“When we received a response from the Ministry of Finance last week, promising to pay us within the first quarter of next financial year, April to June, our members did not take great comfort in that,” Smith told The Gleaner.

He noted that the latest response from the ministry was “very vague and non-committal”.

“The members didn’t feel that that would guarantee that their retroactive sums would be paid early enough,” he said.

He pointed to statements by Finance Minister Fayval Williams in Parliament last month that $1.7 billion was allocated to pay the outstanding salaries for several persons in the public health sector, including medical consultants.

“When we hear that the money was set aside and then we hear that there is no money there, it seems that the money was reallocated to something that they viewed as more important than us, even though this is money that we would have earned already, should have collected already, and should have been set aside for us,” he said.

Meanwhile, Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr Alfred Dawes is urging the Government to act swiftly to return normality to the public health sector.

“Medical consultants are the cornerstone of our healthcare system. Their expertise, dedication, and leadership are vital to the delivery of quality care. Yet, they are forced to take this drastic action because the Government has failed to honour its commitment to them. This is not just about money; it is about respect, fairness, and the value we place on those who dedicate their lives to serving others,” he said in a statement.

The Gleaner tried to get a response from Williams, but calls and messages to her phone went unanswered up to press time.

Smith, in the meantime, said a meeting between the Ministry of Labour and the AGMC is to be held on Tuesday morning.

“We are trying to approach that meeting with an open mind. We know what it is that the members would want to achieve or want to obtain. What has caused us to get to this point is what we view as a lack of respect, some people say a lack of appreciation for what we do,” he said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com