MPATT elections for July or August

THE Medical Prof-essionals Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MPATT) will soon hold elections for a new executive. This was disclosed yesterday by acting MPATT president Dr Lakhan Roop who hinted that the current executive hopes to be in office when negotiations for senior doctors’ contracts (which started in March 2004) are finally concluded. Roop told Newsday that MPATT plans to hold elections for a new executive sometime in July or August. Asked whether former MPATT president Dr Colin Furlonge had resumed activities in the Association, having completed his acting stint as chief medical officer (CMO) at San Fernando General Hospital, Roop said Furlonge was currently on vacation.

Asked about the status of negotiations, Roop said proposals for the doctors’ new contracts are currently before the Public Sector Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and doctors are currently awaiting word from the committee, which is chaired by Junior Finance Minister Conrad Enill. Following a breakdown in negotiations and senior doctors refusing to work overtime and on public holidays, Health Minister John Rahael instructed that the Joint Negotiating Team (JNT) for the Regional Health Authorities be revamped to address concerns raised by the doctors.

Roop previously expressed satisfaction with the actions of the new JNT, headed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Reynold Cooper. Roop said while the negotiations are taking longer than they expected, doctors were optimistic that negotiations would be concluded successfully. He added that because the negotiations are incomplete, no monetary figures given at this time would be accurate.