KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA) is expressing support for government medical consultants, who on Monday began industrial action over the delay in the payment of retroactive salaries.
The action by the members of the Association of Government Medical Consultants (AGMC) has resulted in disruptions to clinical services at public hospitals, including the University Hospital of the West Indies and health centers.
The AGMA says the outstanding payments cover the period April 1, 2022 to December 2024 when the consultants began receiving their new salaries under the public sector compensation restructuring scheme.
But it warned that its members could not guarantee normality if the Ministry of Finance did not review its offer to pay retroactive salaries during the period April to June this year.
AGMC executive member, Dr. Myrton Smith, said that the non-committal response of the government is concerning.
Dr. Smith recalled that in January this year, Finance Minister Fayval Williams said that J$1.7 billion (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.008 cents) had been set aside in the current budget to settle outstanding wage claims for several health sector groups, including medical consultants.
“As a result of that, many of the consultants expressed a feeling of being emotionally exhausted with this protracted negotiation that has been going on, and several of them have decided that, I think it’s time to take a break, step back and reevaluate,” said Dr. Smith.
He said that all clinical activities in hospitals and health centers must be conducted under the supervision of the medical consultants,.
“So if the consultants are not there, then these clinical activities cannot take place to the extent that they would normally take place,” he added.
Clinical Coordinator for the Western Regional Health Authority, Dr. Delroy Fray, said the action of the medical consultants at hospitals in the region has affected the delivery of clinical services and elective surgeries, provisions are in place for patients visiting clinics.
“Emergencies will not be affected because any emergency that requires their service, it will be adhered to. In some of our hospitals, where there are high risk pregnant clinic, those will be addressed as well.
“So the main aspect of it will be our elective surgical list and our clinic. And also in the clinics, we have made provision that patients who come in there that require repeat prescription, that will be done as well so that the service will not be affected too greatly,” he said.
Meanwhile, the JMDA in expressing solidarity with the consultants, said its members have been wearing black in support of the industrial action and that its has adopted the slogan ‘Two Unions, One Profession equals One Problem…Pay Us What you Owe’.
“The Jamaica Medical Doctors Association stands in solidarity with the Association of Government Medical Consultants Agency. Today we are wearing black to show our support for their cause,” said JMDA president Dr. Renee Badroe.
She said the non-payment of the retroactive salaries to the medical consultants is disquieting.
“The Ministry of Finance and Public Service has been disingenuous in its treatment of both groups. As doctors, we are not asking for more money. We are simply asking for the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Health to simply pay us what they owe us. The JMDA and the AGMC are two different unions, but we’re one profession. And if you have done injustice to one, you have done injustice to all,” she added.
