The Bahamas’ public healthcare system is teetering on the brink of operational collapse as a critical shortfall in overtime funding triggers widespread staff discontent and threatens essential medical services. This crisis emerged following a January 13 internal memorandum from the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) announcing that overtime compensation would be suspended without prior approval from the managing director’s office—a measure unions characterize as penalizing frontline workers for administrative failures.
Key health unions, including the Bahamas Nurses Union and the Bahamas Public Service Union, have urgently advised their members to refuse any additional shifts beyond scheduled hours until outstanding payments are resolved. Union leaders Muriel Lightbourn and Kimsley Ferguson have condemned the situation as both unacceptable and profoundly disrespectful to medical professionals who regularly work beyond their contracted hours to maintain patient care standards.
Consultant Physicians Staff Association president Dr. Charelle Lockhart reported that physicians are departing “in droves,” not due to diminished commitment to patients, but because of perceived abandonment by health system leadership. She issued a stark warning to government officials, comparing the scenario to a live grenade awaiting detonation within the medical care system.
Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Michael Darville has acknowledged the severity of the budgetary depletion, labeling it a matter of “great concern” and convening emergency meetings to address compensation gaps across healthcare facilities. Minister Darville attributed payment delays to acute staffing shortages within the PHA’s finance department, exacerbated by retirements and private sector migration, though he assured that outstanding overtime “not only must be paid, but will be paid.”
The PHA management maintains that the directive was necessary to preserve funding for critical priorities, including essential hires, and to implement stricter oversight following the exhaustion of overtime allocations. Managing Director Dr. Rolle recognized the inconvenience caused and promised staff further updates regarding payment resolutions.