Back on the job

Medical consultants are back on the job today as discussions continue with the finance ministry regarding payment of their retroactive salaries under the new compensation framework.

The medical consultants reportedly took “mental health days” on Monday and Tuesday, causing disruptions in clinics and hospitals across the island as they pressed the Government for a timeline for retroactive salary payments.

In statements on both days, 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 had been suspended. It said patients will be advised of new appointment dates.

A meeting held yesterday, chaired by the Ministry of Labour and attended by representatives from the ministries of Finance and Health & Wellness, appears to have temporarily assuaged the discontent.

“Having received that sort of intervention and having had reasonable discussions ... , the decision has been taken that we will be returning to work in full complement, many of us having been refreshed and revived, and we will continue our discussions with the Ministry of Finance,” Dr Myrton Smith, an executive member of the Association of Government Medical Consultants (AGMC), told The Gleaner yesterday evening.

But he noted that ideally, the consultants had hoped that the payments would have been made in March. However, “if that is not forthcoming for whatever reason that has been explained, then we would want it to be paid as early as possible thereafter”.

Medical consultants are the highest-trained specialist physicians, who provide expert advice and guidance to other healthcare professionals.

OFFER REJECTED

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.

“The discussion involving the timeline involved a deeper explanation of the financial circumstances of the Government, it allowed us also to outline what were our expectations and the reasons for our expectations,” Smith said of the meeting.

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

Describing the two-day withdrawal of services as effective, Smith said the Government has also committed to communicate better with the association going forward.

“We have made it clear to our employers that there is a sense amongst the consultants that sometimes we are undervalued and the way that we are communicated with by our employers sometimes shows scant regard for the role that we play but nonetheless, some assurances have been given that that is not the case, so we can continue the discussions at the local level,” he said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com