Health Minister Laville talks solutions for medical officers’ concerns

Health Minister Cassanni Laville believes that more communication is needed to address issues being confronted by medical officers in Dominica. Laville’s comments came as a group of medical officers reported sick last week causing interruption to some of the services there.

They returned to work on Monday, September 18.

Laville said some of the main issues expressed by these medical officers was that the Accident and Emergency Department had 11 officers assigned, however at the time, they were operating with 5 medical officers due to various issues mostly associated with vacation leave, sick leave, short-term training and temporary reassignment of a medical officer.

The medical officers at the meeting presented the following as a recommendation to address their challenges: to immediately promote medical interns to medical officers after four basic rotations.

He said another recommendation was for a specific medical officer–who has categorically indicated that he wants to continue his reassignment duties at the Marigot Hospital–to return to the A&E Department of the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital, while another suggestion was to consider employment of retired medical officers.

“We clearly understand the situation that we are confronted with, we understand the issues faced by the medical officers and in fact what I believe was the greatest challenge is that we need to communicate more because, over the past year, we have in fact as a ministry and hospital authority been focusing on the environment and the issues that are being confronted by the medical officers,” Laville said while delivering remarks at a press conference held recently.

He continued, “Notwithstanding it would appear that many do not know and this is an area where I firmly believe that we need to improve, because out of their five recommendations, well of course, there were some that were not practical.”

However, Laville pointed out that many of them align with the plans of the government and they were assured that many of the things that they recommended were in fact things that the government has been actively working on to improve their circumstances.

“As a matter of fact, at the end of this month even issues relating to salaries which they did not raise in the meeting, their circumstance will be improved largely for many of them, particularly those who are appointed,” he stated.  “And I am understanding that they will in fact receive at least a $900 increase by the end of the month.”

Laville added, “And for others who are on contract the situation will change and the review process is done with the contracts for the next cycle of engagement.”

Related Articles