Rahael begs doctors to sign contracts

While there are reports that some registrars (junior doctors) have signed the new contracts offered by the Regional Health Authorities, Health Minister John Rahael yesterday appealed for others to sign.

He said there has been too much “pulling and tugging for too long” and the Ministry and RHAs had to work together. Meanwhile, the Medical Professionals Association has written to the chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Health Sector, Dr Lenny Saith, expressing their dissatisfaction with the RHAs for unilaterally putting out terms and conditions which they did not agree to for doctors.

Speaking at a media briefing at the Ministry’s head office, Rahael said the “best possible package” was presented by the RHAs. He said it was able to satisfy most of what the doctors were seeking. He said the authorities could not agree to the doctors’ request for allowances to be added to their salaries and the total taken into consideration when they got their gratuity. “We have made it clear the Chief Personnel Officer cannot accept that proposal. I hope they accepted that position,” Rahael said.

He reiterated his plan to equip hospitals and provide doctors and nurses with the tools they need to do their jobs. “By working together, we will ensure the patient gets the type of health care they deserve.” MPATT has met with doctors at Port-of-Spain and San Fernando General Hospitals and Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex about the RHA offer and, according to feedback, they feel the final offer is unfair. They also expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of negotiations over the past year.

The vice-president of MPATT, Dr Lakhan Roop, criticised the final contract saying it did not even include a clause indicating the areas which were still outstanding (gratuity, compensatory days and overtime payment). He could not say how many doctors have signed but speculated that they could be the foreign doctors. Referring to the clause related to private practice, Roop said junior doctors were never allowed to engage in private practice.