Doctors on Strike

THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL’S (QEH) doctors are on strike and will only attend to emergency cases.That unanimous decision was made yesterday after the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) met for nearly two hours behind closed doors at the QEH’s auditorium.BAMP has taken industrial action in protest over the decision of the QEH’s board of management to sack two consultants, radiologist Dr Cecil Rambarat and urologist Dr Jerry Emtage.And the association is appealing to Minister of Health Donville Inniss “to resolve the issues in a speedy manner in order to prevent any inconvenience to the public”.BAMP is of the view that such intervention would avoid any further escalation of the industrial action.Rambarat, the head of radiology and imaging with 23 years service, was issued with walking papers on Wednesday after being summoned to a meeting at the hospital’s chief executive officer’s (CEO) office.Twenty hours later, Emtage, one of the island’s best known urologists, filed an injunction against the QEH before Justice Margaret Reifer, after learning he was being removed from the hospital’s list of consultants.BAMP’s public relations officer Dr Ermine Belle told the SATURDAY SUN that Rambarat was given absolutely no reason for the termination of his contract.Belle said she was surprised at the hospital’s decision this week as they were in deliberation with the QEH on industrial matters pertaining to Emtage and another consultant Dr Stephen Jones and were awaiting a response.“Therefore, it is unfortunate that this should occur at this time when we were in the process of doing these negotiations and as a result, we will be implementing some industrial action starting with emergency services to the QEH by the doctors and that means we will have no elective surgeries or procedures taking place at the hospital as from now [yesterday]. “We will as doctors and caring persons continue to look after those persons who need in-patient care at the hospital, but definitely will not be doing any other clinics or elective procedures,” she said.