MPATT cries discrimination

The Health Ministry is again being accused of discrimination against local doctors. This time, the ire of local doctors stems from a circular sent by the Health Ministry instructing the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) that Cuban doctors and nurses are not to work on their national holidays. Approximately 73 doctors and nurses began work last month at health centres and Port-of-Spain General Hospital (PoSGH). Human Resource Manager at the Ministry, Ashford Sankar, last week wrote to NWRHA Ag Chief Executive Officer Karin Pierre informing her that under the technical co-operation agreement between TT and the Republic of Cuba signed on July 2, “all Cuban professionals” contracted by the Ministry and assigned to the RHA are entitled to days off on Cuban national holidays on — January 1, May 25, July 26 and October 10 — last Friday. Sankar asked the NWRHA to “facilitate” the time-off.

Pierre was asked to bring this correspondence to the attention of Medical Chiefs of Staff at PoSGH and Eric Williams Medical Complex, area administrators and heads of department as appropriate. The Medical Professionals Association of TT (MPATT) has described this arrangement as “plain old discrimination and inequity.” Vice president of MPATT, Dr Lakhan Roop, referred to the stalled negotiations with the Regional Health Authorities for compensatory days for doctors. “We have to work on our public holidays and weekends,” Roop said. He said local doctors working in the United Kingdom and US are not given days off on TT national holidays. “When doctors are on-call they have to work. Not all Hindus get a day off for Divali and not all Muslims get a day off for Eid.”