Misrepresentation of events at the University Hospital of the West Indies and actions of interns

The Jamaica Medical Doctors' Association (JMDA) calls on the Minister of Health and Wellness to retract his
misleading statement regarding the actions of interns.

 

The Minister of Health has publicly said that interns at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) protested
in the Accident and Emergency Department regarding the lack of bedspaces for patients within the UHWI (Tufton,
2026, 0:58–1:35). This statement is not true.

 

On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, interns across the island engaged in protest action. The concerns of the interns
related to brutal work schedules — shifts that sometimes stretched past 48 hours straight. Even after these long
shifts, there is nowhere suitable for them to sleep at many of the facilities. This inability to recuperate adequately
can pose a danger to patient care.

 

It is disheartening to realise that the Minister is unable to identify the inhumane conditions in which the doctors
must function, the dissatisfaction among the interns, and what the doctors have to present to the country as
healthcare.

 

The JMDA would appreciate it if the Honourable Minister would change his statement, apologise to the interns, and
state accurately the facts as they are so that the nation will not be misled in this matter.

 

Issued by: Dr. Renee Badroe
President, Jamaica Medical Doctors' Association (JMDA)