Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said he has established a committee to address concerns affecting doctors and nurses at the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital, with weekly reports to him as well as monthly meetings.
Part of new measures to resolve workplace issues, the announcement follows protest action by hospital doctors earlier this week over non-payment of some salaries and allowances.
Skerrit said the government remains committed to resolving the concerns and wants medical professionals to focus on patient care rather than administrative matters.
Skerrit also addressed the extent of the payment concerns, saying the situation did not involve 70 or 80 doctors as some members of the public had been led to believe, but 15 or 16, who, according to him, fell under the auspices of the Dominica Hospital Authority.
He confirmed that all DCFH doctors will be paid directly by the government from October, while investigations will be conducted into the matter of four doctors who were not paid their allowances in one month.
The newly established committee will include representatives from the Board of Management, the hospital authority board and its chief executive officer, as well as union representatives. Skerrit said he has also requested that doctors be represented directly to ensure the committee considers their day-to-day experiences and practical solutions to the challenges they face.
The committee will meet regularly and report to the prime minister every week. He will meet with its members once a month to monitor progress and ensure that outstanding issues are addressed.
He also called for a stronger role for the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in hospital administration and healthcare delivery, including more frequent meetings with doctors and nurses. He said this would allow concerns to be identified and resolved before they become prolonged problems.
According to Skerrit, some of the difficulties raised by doctors appear to stem from inadequate communication by the relevant authorities and the administrative arm of the Ministry of Health. He said regular meetings and clearer communication should help resolve misunderstandings and clarify outstanding matters.
In the prime minister’s view, the issues raised do not warrant public alarm about the delivery of healthcare services in Dominica, adding that a collective approach could resolve the identified concerns quickly.
He thanked the doctors, the Ministry of Health, the Board of Management and the union for their involvement in the process, commending the union’s leadership for what he described as its respectful approach.
Skerrit acknowledged that challenges would continue to arise but said the aim was to establish a system capable of addressing them in the shortest possible time.
