Update | Protesting junior doctors to return to work

Normality is expected to return to the public health sector this evening with junior doctors returning to work at 6 p.m.

Following a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security earlier this afternoon, the leadership of the Jamaica Medical Doctors' Association (JMDA) said in the best interest of patient care junior doctors will resume duties this evening.

JMDA president Dr Renae Badroe told The Gleaner a short while ago that a meeting is planned for Tuesday at which time her association will meet with officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service and the Ministry of Health to address the concerns raised by the doctors.

Public healthcare was severely disrupted this morning after junior doctors started calling in sick.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness reported earlier that public health facilities across Jamaica have begun to operate under emergency protocols, as junior doctors have called in sick.

While emergency rooms remain open, the health ministry says outpatient services and elective surgeries have been significantly scaled down or otherwise suspended.

At the same time, primary care facilities have also been affected.

Junior doctors have complained that despite an ultimatum given to the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service and the Ministry of Health and Wellness up to late Sunday neither of the two ministries has reached out to the JMDA.

Highlighting what it describes as the major areas of concern, the JMDA says the finance ministry does not want to pay retroactive sums owed to doctors.

It says the ministry wants to impose its rates for overtime and does not want to reinstitute incentive allowance that it unilaterally discontinued.

- Edmond Campbell

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