THE DOCTORS who resigned from their jobs at Nuttall Hospital last Friday say that they were forced to take this drastic action after years of trying to communicate their grouses to the hospital board and management and receiving no response.
"I have been writing letters to the board over and over for a number of years and they have never responded to me, not once," ex-casualty officer Dr. Leslie Toby told The Gleaner yesterday. "This is discourtesy ... even if one person would pay me some mind, it wouldn't be so bad because we all have the interest of the hospital and patients at heart and not even one person pay me some mind."
He said that a last-ditch effort was made two weeks ago when another letter was written outlining their grouses. The letter was hand delivered to the 14 members of the board which is chaired by Dr. Vincent Lawrence. The doctors said again they received no response.
The Gleaner tried to get a comment from Dr. Lawrence but was told on both occasions that he was in a meeting.
Nuttall's acting business manager Delsie Davis, said she could not comment without getting clearance from the board.
Dr. Toby said that for years the doctors in the Casualty Department had been working in less than ideal conditions -- cramped space, inadequate seating for patients, inadequate examination of patients who are interviewed in an area where their privacy cannot be protected.
"The roof has been leaking badly for three or four years now. If we have a heavy shower, the roof leaks straight onto the patients, doctors and onto the beds. I don't think that a responsible management should have this situation going on and then we as doctors have to keep making excuses," he said.
He also criticised the management of the hospital. "If you have people running a hospital who know nothing about medical matters and cannot communicate properly with the technical staff and have an autocratic attitude, then you are going to end up in a mess," Dr. Toby said.
The resignations included eight sessional doctors and a full-time casualty officer, plus an additional 12 doctors on a reserve list for occasional duty.
Dr. Toby stressed that the doctors were not striking and holding anybody to ransom but had resigned and given the hospital the option of employing others.
