Golding blasts gov’t for widespread industrial action by doctors

Opposition Leader Mark Golding has taken the Government to task over the industrial action that hit Jamaica's health system yesterday when hundreds of junior doctors stayed off the job.

The doctors staged a sickout to register their displeasure with the non-renewal of employment contracts for more than 140 of their colleagues and working conditions.

This crippled operations at several hospitals across the country.

READ: Hospitals buckle as doctors lose patience

Golding, in a statement today, accused the Government of showing callous disregard and negligence to the longstanding issues raised by the doctors.

“Yesterday's debacle was all the more shameful because the Government let it happen during the COVID-19 pandemic when our doctors, nurses and other medical staff have been the real heroes, battling long and hard on the frontlines to save the lives of so many Jamaicans,” said Golding.

“It is absolutely unconscionable that the Government has continuously ignored the valid claims of these valiant public servants, who have kept our healthcare system running in the most difficult and indeed dangerous working conditions,” he continued. 

Golding charged that yesterday's events exposed the misplaced priorities of the Government.

“It took our doctors 'falling ill' during the pandemic to force the Government to come to the table to discuss longstanding grouses about the unjust contrivance of short-term contracts, unpaid gratuities and other broken promises concerning their conditions of service. This affair has put on full display the contempt with which the Government has been dealing with these heroic public servants at a time when our society needs them most,” he asserted. 

The opposition leader expressed relief that the Government has eventually capitulated to some of the demands of the Jamaica Medical Doctors' Association, including the restructuring of the contracts of 25 doctors, and the payment of overdue gratuities.

However, he said that it remains concerning that while some of the junior doctors will be returning to work, over 100 of their colleagues will no longer be working alongside them, further weakening Jamaica's overburdened healthcare system.

“Better late than never for some, but it is clear to the Jamaican people what it takes to achieve justice when dealing with an uncaring, arrogant and self-satisfied Government.”

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