Audit confirms JMDA concerns

WITH an audit confirming that a number of the country’s public health facilities need to be renovated, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has instructed regional authorities to take corrective action to address concerns raised in June during an islandwide protest by medical interns. “Having had the draft report, we went through a couple of issues. There is some review that was required by the chief medical officer, and then another discussion to be had with the JMDA (Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association).

But the long and short of it is that the report does confirm that there are a number of facilities that are outstanding and requiring some renovation,” he told the Jamaica Observer Tuesday. The audit was, among other things, an effort to gauge the working and living conditions of medical interns across the public health system. “A letter has been written to the regional authorities and the specific institutions, with some specific instructions,” the minister said, opting not to be more detailed as the report is to be reviewed by the chief medical officer before the “specifics” are unveiled.

Tufton stressed that the ministry is “committed to working with the JMDA to address the issues”. The June 24 protest by medical interns resulted from their concerns about what JMDA President Dr Renee Badroe described as “inhumane conditions… brutal work schedules — shifts that sometimes stretch beyond 48 hours straight”. In a statement in July, Badroe had pointed out that even after these long shifts, there is nowhere suitable for interns to sleep at many of the facilities.

In urging the health minister to address the underlying issues the JMDA head said this inability to recuperate adequately can pose a danger to patient care. On Tuesday Tufton, who had in July told the Observer that he would be inviting the JMDA to the discussion table to discuss the concerns, said that meeting took place two weeks ago. The minister, however, noted that the challenges extended beyond concerns about accommodations.

“This is not just about facilities, it’s also about a couple of other issues — which makes it more complicated than what is being suggested. For one, scheduling of assignments, which is very important, does not just involve the interns but involves direct supervisors. So whether it is the senior house officer or the resident or the consultant, the truth is there are some …