IRIE FM

The Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA) has warned that there could be further disruption to services at public health facilities if the Industrial Disputes Tribunal continues to delay the handing down of its ruling on overtime rates.

Normal operations resumed at public health facilities at 8 o’clock this morning when doctors, who are rostered for this weekend, returned to their duties following a 24-hour strike.

The JMDA explained that the protest was to highlight growing frustration among members over the long-awaited ruling from the Tribunal.

The doctors have been waiting on the Tribunal’s ruling since April 1.

Up to Thursday evening, which was the deadline stipulated by the JMDA, the Tribunal had not issued a ruling.

The doctors are still waiting.

Speaking with IRIE FM News, JMDA President Dr. Jubilee Brown Service acknowledged that the members’ actions yesterday affected many Jamaicans.

However, she said the doctors crave citizens’ understanding as they fight for what is rightfully theirs.

She said the JMDA will continue to advocate for fairness and justice and will not accept continued exploitation of members’ labour.

Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck says the Mediation Act is expected to be deliberated on and passed in the Senate in the coming week.

The Act was passed by the House of Representatives in July.

It seeks to establish a regulatory framework for the conduct of mediation in the country.

The Act will govern community, court-directed, and international mediation, the registration of mediators, as well as the licensing and regulation of mediation service providers.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Mr. Chuck expressed hope that the Act will be passed, as it has been a long time in coming.

He described the legislation as being transformational.

President of the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA) Dr. Jubilee Brown-Service says doctors will return to work for regular duties tomorrow.

It follows the withdrawal of services today by doctors as they pressed the Industrial Disputes Tribunal to hand down its ruling on over time rate.

Speaking with IRIE FM News, Dr. Brown-Service says there was a significant reduction in staff today.

She says contracted doctors will resume duties this weekend.

Dr. Brown-Service says the action taken by her members today signals that they will stand up against exploitation of their labour.

This in the wake of protests by lawyers who called for the legislation to be amended, especially as it relates to mandatory minimum sentences and persons held with imitation guns.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, Mr. Chuck noted that while defendants who plead guilty can typically negotiate a reduced sentence under mandatory minimum guidelines, this option is excluded, under the Firearms Act.

He said aspects of the law are being reexamined.

The Justice Minister said legislative amendments do not happen overnight, they take time.

Junior medical doctors across the island have taken industrial action affecting services at some hospitals.

It comes as the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA) escalates its pressure on the Industrial Disputes Tribunal to hand down the long-awaited ruling on doctors’ overtime rates.

Doctors will only provide emergency services from 8 a.m. today to 8 a.m. tomorrow.

In Manchester, more than 100 junior doctors stayed off the job at the Mandeville Regional Hospital.

Senior Medical Officer at the hospital, Dr. Everton McIntosh says over 20 consultants are now manning the facility which has 315 patients admitted.

He says outpatient services have been suspended for the day, while elective surgeries have been postponed. 

Dr. McIntosh explains that in order to reduce workloads on the limited number of doctors available, some patients have been discharged. 

He’s hoping that normalcy returns to the hospital for the weekend. 

In the meantime, the North East Regional Health Authority (NERHA) is reporting that its health facilities have been affected by the action taken by medical doctors. 

NERHA covers St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland.

In a statement, NERHA says all hospitals in the region are operating under emergency mode. 

This means that normal services are disrupted, including outpatient clinics, routine appointments and non-emergency procedures. 

Accident and emergency departments at hospitals within the region will only be opened for emergency and life-saving operations. 

Operations at major health centres in the region are also impacted, with only urgent and other limited services such as vaccination being offered. 

One medical doctor will be present at these major health centres. 

Meanwhile, NERHA says the St. Ann’s Bay regional hospital is operating with 12%  of its medical staff capacity. 

Meanwhile, Clinical Coordinator for the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), Dr. Delroy Fray says contingency plans were put in place long before the strike commenced. 

He says senior doctors have been rostered to assist and he says these plans are working well. 

The Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (JABBEM) is welcoming the injunction granted by the court yesterday allowing full access to Little Dunn’s River in St Ann.

JABBEM says at the hearing, the judge finalized the injunction order that is effective immediately, securing the public’s unrestricted access to the beach, river, waterfalls and the sea at Little Dunn’s River.

JABBEM notes that it is a significant victory for every Jamaican who believes that the island’s beaches, rivers and coastline are a birthright and not a privilege.

President of JABBEM, Dr. Devon Taylor says the court yesterday affirmed that the public should have full access until the matter is permanently settled.

Following the ruling, attorneys for the Government indicated that they intend to appeal the judge’s decision to grant the injunction. 

However JABBEM says it remains confident in the strength of its case.

Meanwhile, Dr. Taylor also reiterates his demand for the repeal and replacement of the beach control act of 1956 with modern legislation

The Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA) says it stands in solidarity with the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA) as it awaits a long-outstanding ruling from the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT).

The ruling concerns overtime payment rates for public sector doctors.

The junior doctors had warned of disruptions to healthcare, effective today, if the IDT failed to issue a ruling yesterday.

The health ministry said it is prepared to implement contingency measures to mitigate any impact from the disruption, with assurances that emergency and essential health services will remain available.

President of the JCSA, Techa Clarke-Griffiths, says the association respects the independence of the IDT and does not seek to influence the substance of its decision.

Mrs. Clarke-Griffiths stressed that the matter should be resolved in a timely manner and brought to a conclusion as soon as practicable, consistent with the Labour Relations and Industrial Disputes Act and Jamaica’s established industrial relations framework.

Vice Chairman of the National Road Safety Council, Dr. Lucien Jones, has noted the need for Jamaica to channel more human and financial resources into tackling road crashes and fatalities.

Dr. Jones pointed out that some months this year recorded over 30 deaths, with the highest being 41, in July.

He said with greater enforcement and adherence to road safety regulations, Jamaica could record fewer than 20 deaths per month for the rest of the year.

The Association of Government Medical Consultants (AGMC) says its members are prepared to assist with healthcare services if doctors follow through on their threat to stay off the job effective tomorrow.

The Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA) has warned of possible disruptions in operations at public health facilities if a long-awaited ruling from the Industrial Disputes Tribunal is not handed down by the end of the work day today.

The protracted matter relates to overtime rates.

Speaking with IRIE FM News, AGMC President Dr. Myrton Smith said his association supports any lawful action the JMDA finds necessary in pursuit of the justice being sought.

Dr. Smith acknowledged that the AGMC is cognizant of the impact any disruption will have on patients.

He said arrangements are being made to provide assistance despite not having sufficient manpower.

The JMDA has been awaiting a ruling on the overtime matter since April 1, following several months spent in negotiations with the Finance Ministry, followed by meetings with the Labour Ministry before the matter was referred to the Tribunal.

The matter arose in 2023.

The doctors are still being paid overtime based on 2021 rates, a central point of contention.

Dr. Smith expressed hope that citizens can empathise with the doctors’ plight and decision to press for an urgent resolution.

There are mixed reactions from citizens about the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association’s warning of possible disruption to public health services if the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) fails to hand down its long-awaited ruling on doctors’ overtime rates.

The association set the end of the work day today as its deadline.

Some citizens who spoke with IRIE FM News said they sympathise with the doctors, who have been waiting for a resolution to the issue for a long time, while others expressed concern for how patients will be affected.

One man from St. Catherine said the doctors have legitimate grounds for taking a stand after six months of waiting for the IDT’s decision.

Meanwhile, a Kingston man who opposes any industrial action, argued that patients should not have to pay the price for a dispute they did not create.

Some citizens reacting to reports of a possible disruption to public health services.

The association says it is a responsible group and does not want patients to bear the brunt of the dispute.

It states that it gave the relevant notice and followed the proper protocols before announcing the possibility of industrial action.

The Health Ministry says it is on standby to ensure limited impact on patients.