SERHA head says overtime hours wrecking nurses, doctors

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer
Chairman of the South East Regional Health Authority, Lyttleton Shirley, says overtime work is seriously affecting health professionals and compromising the delivery of care.

Addressing the opening session of the 42nd island conference of the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) in Ocho Rios today, Shirley said there needs to be a better way of rotating staff to help reduce the potential risk of fatigue, errors and high stress levels.

Last year the issue of health professionals working long hours was raised by then president of the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association, Dr Dayton Campbell.

Campbell had told a parliamentary committee that inadequate staffing was seriously affecting patient care at the Cornwall Regional Hospital.

But his declaration that doctors at the hospital had fallen over in the middle of surgical operations because of exhaustion was denied by the Western Regional Health Authority.

In the meantime, Shirley, whose chairmanship covers 10 hospitals including the Kingston Public Hospital and the Bustamante Hospital for Children, says the lack of professionalism on the part of some health care workers could cost the government millions of dollars.

He says the legal department at the Health Ministry and at the Regional Authority are now inundated with law suits, many of which could result in large compensation packages being awarded.