MONTEGO BAY, St James — There were fewer people than usual seeking medical care at State-run medical facilities in western Jamaica on Friday as members of the public appeared to heed warnings to only seek help if they had no other choice because junior doctors withdrew their services.

“Last night I told them not to come unless it is urgent or an emergency,” clinical coordinator for the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) Dr Delroy Fray told the Jamaica Observer Friday afternoon. While he did not have supporting data to share at the time, Fray said there were fewer than usual admissions to accident and emergency (A&E) departments across St James, Hanover, Westmoreland, and Trelawny.

“We kind of control it, because we did not want the patient who needs care to suffer because of [the strike],” Dr Fray explained. At 8:00 am on Friday, junior doctors across Jamaica went on strike to protest the delay by the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) in handing down a ruling related to years of wrangling over retroactive overtime payments.

To fill the gap, senior doctors, many of them consultants, had to step up and shoulder the additional workload, particularly in A&E departments. “We assigned all the doctors from yesterday; everybody knows what they were supposed to do and they have fulfilled it,” Dr Fray stated. At Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea, one nurse confirmed that patients stayed away. “Things are slow. [I] don’t even think the doctors see 10 people from morning,” she told the Observer.

Of the three shifts scheduled for the day, the first shift — which ended at 3:00 pm — was staffed by five of its six doctors, comprising senior and Cuban physicians. However, all 14 junior doctors assigned to the parish’s six curative clinics stayed away, according to medical officer of health for the Hanover Health Department Dr Kaushal Singh.

“Due to that, we had to reorganise services. We were supposed to have six curative clinics — meaning the six clinics where doctors are supposed to go, [and] we had to reappoint four clinics [where patients were provided with new dates within two weeks],” Singh told the Observer.

“Two clinics were operated by the senior medical officers — Lucea in the western end of the parish and Mount Peto in the eastern section. Anybody who needs a repeat prescription should go to these clinics and get their prescription filled,” Singh advised. Despite the challenges, Singh confirmed that all 18 health centres in Hanover remained open on Friday, with maternal and child health, family planning, nutrition, and oral health services running smoothly. The Observer spoke with two patients at the Lucea clinic who expressed support for the doctors.

One woman, who identified herself only as McPherson, said she understood the situation and was willing to be patient. “It not easy, but you know we always have the doctors them move fast enough with us here. If they have a delay now we just have to cope with them,” said McPherson. Another patient shared a similar sentiment, highlighting the personal toll the profession takes. “Them have family to support, them have children, and every day them have to be in the hospital.

Them can’t sleep in them bed in peace; every minute them get call,” said the patient as he recalled experiences waiting hours at the hospital due to emergency cases taking precedence. Meanwhile, a visit to Falmouth Public General Hospital in Trelawny found the usually bustling A&E Department almost empty.

“You see, them can do better. But [usually], even if them eyelash a hurt them, them come,” one member of staff said. However, at the A&E at Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James one woman, who was outside with her ailing male relative, said they were inconvenienced by the doctors’ strike.

“We have to go to Type 5 because they are on strike. We’ve been here like two hours but now we are waiting on the drive to go down there,” said the woman who did not give her name. Type 5 is the informal name for Montego Bay Comprehensive Health Centre, and indications are things went smoothly there throughout the day.

“The turnout was the [usual] amounts, nothing really different, because patients wouldn’t know who is on strike,” St James Health Services Parish Manager Lennox Wallace told the Observer. He said in preparation for the strike they had made adjustments to the opening hours on Friday. “We were not going to take the risk, even though [most of] the doctors came out on Friday.

We had to play it by ear so I had given instructions that the clinic be closed at 4:00 pm on Friday and not 10:00 pm — because we have to gauge the risk,” Wallace explained. He said they attended to all patients who turned up Friday, even if some were rescheduled for other dates.

“No patient that came here, as much as you can see that it is empty, not even one was turned away — not even one,” Wallace stressed. He said while fewer doctors showed up for work, each of the 22 health centres in the parish had a doctor present throughout the day. “We would have had like 10 doctors normally.

We had six today but we should have the full complement Saturday and Sunday,” said Wallace.