Pharmacists want $7,000 in monthly allowances

The majority of dispensaries at public health institutions, including Port-of-Spain (PoSGH) and San Fernando (SFGH) General Hospitals and Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), remained closed again yesterday because pharmacists failed to show up for work. However, the Health Ministy expects pharmacists to be at work today. A Ministry official yesterday said they were part of the essential services and were not supposed to take industrial action “of one kind or another.” In response to the sick-out, the Permanent Secretaries in the ministry yesterday held a meeting with human resource and industrial relations managers of the Regional Health Authorities to “try to come to terms with the issues affecting pharmacists.” It was decided that a joint committee would be formed comprising all the RHAs. Human resource manager at the Health Ministry, and acting Permanent Secretary, Ashford Sankar told Newsday the committee would meet with representatives of the pharmacists and make “appropriate recommendations” on the allowances which pharmacists had proposed. A report is expected within three weeks.

Among the allowances pharmacists are requesting are: responsibility allowance of $2,000 monthly, professional allowance of $1,500 monthly, education allowance of $1,450 and a $2,500 monthly allowance for those working with chemotherapy medications and mixing liquid supplement for patients and a salary of $10,000 a month. Commenting on reclassification of pharmacists, Sankar said there were 92 posts in the Public Service to be reclassified. He said this “complex exercise” was completed last Wednesday by the Office of the Chief Personnel Officer and the ministry signed off on job descriptions and specifications for all the positions of pharmacist postions. “The ministry and CPO arrived at a common position with respect to proposed upgraded salary ranges.” Sankar reminded that Health Minister John Rahael said the issue would be settled in the next few weeks. Sankar said permanent employment was not an issue in the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) because although 30 of 43 pharmacists were offered permanent employment over the past four to six weeks, 28 had rejected the offer because they wanted employment contracts.

In a release, the NWRHA said pharmacies at St James Medical Complex and Woodbrook Health Facility were open, but others in the region remained closed. The NWRHA said at 10 am yesterday many pharmacists failed to contact their institution to indicate whether they would be reporting for work. “This continued action is very disappointing,” said the executive management of the NWRHA. “The people of TT are the ones suffering because of this. We urge the pharmacists to continue to negotiate and return to work as soon as possible.” The NWRHA said contingency plans have been implemented for emergency cases at PoSGH,  and similar arrangements have been made at the EWMSC and Mt Hope Women’s Hospital. Newsday learnt that senior pharmacists have been redeployed from health centres to the major institutions. In a release Monday, the NWRHA said it had been negotiating over the past six weeks with a group representing pharmacists working at NWRHA facilities and not pharmacists representing pharmacists across the country who stayed away from work. At the last meeting on August 11, the NWRHA said compensation packages, a department staffing report and the proposed pharmacy structure were discussed. Another meeting is scheduled for today.