Dear Editor,

“Ungrateful is wus dan Obeah!” and ignorance is definitely not bliss.

It was only a few months ago that the Ministry of Health and Wellness had been circulating ads about doctors and nurses being “Healthcare Heroes”. We were given capes and respected by all as our importance was very obvious when the country was crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, I am utterly confused and devastated that on the heels of the pandemic doctors are being treated like dregs at the bottom of a cup.

For years the doctors of Jamaica have been placed on contracts because the Government thought it was a cheaper alternative to appointing people to posts. There was never an option to choose between the two as posts were just not available.

Over the years the few doctors with posts and the multitude on contract did the same job, benefited from the same wage negotiations, were paid the same salaries, and were paid retroactive sums of the same order. The only differences were post doctors got a pension and contract doctors got 15-30 per cent gratuity on each three-year contract in lieu of pension and contract doctors had unnecessary anxiety every three years waiting to see if their contracts would be renewed.

It is absolutely appalling that “Mr Non-Negotiating”, Minister of Finanace and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke, seeks now to segregate and create bias between health-care workers by offering retroactive salaries to only doctors with posts. This act robs contract doctors of salaries upwards of $1 million for the period 2022-2023.

If he knew he wasn’t going to pay doctors their correct retroactive sums, why wasn’t there a decision made to adjust the amount of work done by contract doctors in keeping with what the Government is able to pay. Everyone went into the negotiations with the understanding that all doctors would be paid the same. We were all unaware of any such change and were, therefore, banking on the money that belongs to us.

Dr Clarke used our contracts as a weapon against us when all other categories of workers on contract got retroactive sums similar to their appointed counterparts. Why are you against doctors, Dr Clarke?

I’m absolutely happy for all my nurse colleagues who got their retroactive sums and new salaries, of which they are most deserving, especially the contract nurses. How do you now explain paying nurses a higher base salary than doctors for a whole year? Unheard of! Wasn’t a reclassification exercise done some eight years ago which showed how staff are supposed to be classified? Why are you now ostracising doctors, Dr Clarke?

I caught a glimpse of the file showing the salaries of other public sector workers who received retroactive sums and our salaries are nowhere near the middle of the range, yet all these people were paid. What have we done to deserve this level of hatred from you, Dr Clarke.

The worst part is the dictatorship mentality that is being displayed towards the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association. I have heard of the intention to get doctors from overseas who can be paid shillings to work in Jamaica, but in the same breath you should inform the populace that when these doctors are sent it’s usually the bottom of the pile that is sent to Jamaica. Most times when they come they know nothing and have to be trained by the Jamaican doctors in order to perform their duties. So continue to swap black dog for monkey! In the end it’s the Jamaican people who suffer. Stop playing politics with peoples health.

The good Bible says give unto Caesar what is due unto Caesar, do the right thing and pay us, Dr Clarke!

It’s not the intention of the doctors of Jamaica to operate in any way that could be detrimental to the people of Jamaica, but “everyday bucket go a well, one day di bottom mus drop out!”

Disgruntled doctor

disgruntleddoctor2@gmail.com