Don’t get sick

In a statement, SWRHA’s chief executive officer, Michael Harris, said, "All persons are advised to seek medical attention at our hospitals only in extreme emergencies during those times."

At a midday media briefing at San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) yesterday, Medical Professionals Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MPATT) announced that senior doctors had unanimously rejected this week’s latest incentive pay package offered by the Public Sector Negotiating Committee.

Acting secretary, Dr Chunilal Ramjit, said, "Senior doctors have been left with no choice but to withdraw their overtime and on-call services." The "strike" action took effect yesterday.

MPATT’s action therefore means that after 4 pm, senior doctors will not admit patients to hospital wards.     

They will not be on call during the weekend and on public holidays. Ramjit explains, "We are only obligated to handle patients that are already admitted to the wards."

House officers who are junior doctors will therefore have to take up the slack on the wards.

House officers work under the supervision of a senior doctor who is either a registrar or consultant.

Ramjit announced that doctors would not return to the bargaining table with the PSNC. "We do not wish to have a next meeting with the negotation committee.

"We have made our claims and we will only go back to work when our claims are met," Ramjit said.

MPATT’s acting president Lakhan Roop said, "No significant change from the last offer. Far removed from what a secondary school principal gets, they (PSNT) hadn’t gone up at all."

The current doctors’ action is the second within the last nine months. Hospitals were forced to send critically ill patients to private nursing homes.