Government medical consultants stage Islandwide sickout

Clinics and other medical facilities' operations have been interrupted today due to government medical consultants staging a sickout demanding payment of retroactive salaries under the new compensation review for the public sector.

Last week, the Association of Government Medical Consultants 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 association had previously indicated that it saw the delay as unjust treatment and that its members wanted the finance ministry to pay the retroactive salaries within this fiscal year, which ends in March.

However, the ministry has reportedly not responded to the medical consultants.

As a result, the doctors are reportedly taking what they call “mental health days”.

"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," Dr Myrton Smith, an executive member of the Association of Government Consultants, told The STAR Monday morning.

Smith, who is a spokesperson for the association, said the 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 the association has about 500 members islandwide.

"The decision by the membership was that we had gotten to the end of the rope, and we are mentally exhausted and frustrated and hence we are having this reporting of a higher than normal absenteeism from the consultants."

It’s understood that the absence of consultants at health facilities may disrupt some services such as elective procedures and clinics.

While junior doctors may be on the job, they cannot work without the supervision of consultants.

The STAR understands that emergency services are being prioritised.

Today’s action by the consultants has seemingly caught the leadership of the Western Regional Health Authority [WRHA] off-guard.

Dr Delroy Fray, the WRHA’s clinical coordinator, told The Gleaner that he was not in a position to speak to how the strike action has affected operations at health facilities in western Jamaica.

However, he promised that a statement will be provided in short order.

“I find it strange that nobody informed me of anything [regarding the strike action]. I cannot tell you anything, but I am going to find out now what it is all about. I know they were having some talks, but nobody informed me of anything,” Fray said briefly.

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