The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

PUBLIC healthcare services remained limited to emergencies only for most of yesterday despite a court injunction ordering junior doctors back to work.

Supreme Court Justice Ian Winder ordered the Bahamas Doctors Union to advise its members to return to work in an order granted on Tuesday; however, the document had reportedly not been served up to 4pm yesterday. 

As a result, services at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC), Rand Memorial Hospital on Grand Bahama Clinics were limited to emergencies only.

Health Minister Dr Duane Sands yesterday stressed the importance of getting doctors back to work, pointing to public anxiety over the trajectory of tropical cyclone Dorian, which developed into a hurricane yesterday afternoon.

“The Supreme Court order was set down last night,” Dr Sands explained, “as of earlier today (Wednesday) they had not yet been served. 

“We look forward to them returning to work, to the resumption of normal health services while the trajectory of the upcoming storm seems to be passing us. People are anxious that if they have any health concerns, whether they will be sorted out before this storm is upon us.

“The senior physicians are tiring and we hope that this matter is resolved as quickly as possible. We don’t have much time.”

BDU has been on strike since August 21, and has the backing of almost every major union in the country including the Consultant Physicians Staff Association.

The union had been ordered back to work as a result of Labour Minister Dion Foulkes referring their holiday pay dispute to the Industrial Tribunal on Monday. However, protests continued on Tuesday with junior doctors marching from the Queen’s Staircase to Rawson Square.

Tuesday’s injunction came several hours after BDU President Melisande Bassett revealed the union intended to use all legal means available to continue fighting the government including holding a strike vote on several matters where they have been denied due course.

The injunction ordered that BDU be restrained from contravening Sections 76, 77, and 83 of the Industrial Relations Act. An ‘inter partes’ hearing is slated for 2.30pm before Justice Winder today.

On Tuesday, Dr Bassett advised her members that on-call teams for the departments of surgery, medicine, obstetrics, paediatrics, accident and emergency should take over admission to the hospital from 12am to 8am to allow consultant physicians “much-needed rest”.

She did not respond to calls or messages placed by The Tribune yesterday.