I am a medical doctor and find this article about doctors making 'exorbitant' claims for overtime so very interesting. The people making all the decisions never seem to have all the facts at hand.

I can tell you, for a fact, and this will not be found in the books, that a lot of the work done in Jamaican hospitals today is done by unrostered doctors. Interns, senior house officers, and medical officers, grades 1 to 3 are not required, but are expected, by the system, to work many hours beyond 4 p.m. for the benefit of the public.

Betting on goodwill

We are not paid for these things. The Government is betting on the goodwill of the doctors to keep a health system strapped for cash afloat. We are understaffed, underequipped and apparently, soon to be underpaid.

It is not fair to have increased our work load exponentially and now wanting to cut our salaries to pay for 'free health care'. Tell the people that free health care came too soon. Doctors should neither have to suffer nor pay for it.

I am, etc.,

CAREY RAMSAY

carey_ramsay@yahoo.com