In response to recent industrial action by medical staff over unpaid salaries and allowances, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica has announced the formation of a dedicated weekly committee to tackle long-standing workplace issues affecting doctors and nurses at the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital (DCFH). The new oversight mechanism will require the panel to submit regular weekly progress updates directly to the prime minister, alongside monthly in-person meetings to review action items.
The announcement came during a scheduled meeting with senior health officials on Wednesday, and marks the government’s formal policy response to protest action held by DCFH doctors earlier this week, which was triggered by unfulfilled pay and allowance commitments. Skerrit emphasized that the administration remains fully committed to resolving all outstanding concerns, with the core goal of allowing medical professionals to redirect their focus from administrative grievances to delivering high-quality patient care.
Addressing widespread public misinformation around the scope of the payment issue, Skerrit clarified that contrary to circulating claims that 70 to 80 doctors were affected, only 15 to 16 medical professionals working under the Dominica Hospital Authority have experienced pay discrepancies. To prevent similar disruptions going forward, the prime minister confirmed a permanent administrative adjustment: starting in October, all DCFH doctors will receive their salaries directly from the national government, bypassing intermediate administrative bodies. Active investigations are already underway into the specific case of four doctors who did not receive their entitled allowances in a recent pay cycle.
The newly created committee will bring together key stakeholders from across the hospital’s governance structure: representatives from DCFH’s Board of Management, the Dominica Hospital Authority board, the authority’s chief executive officer, and official union representatives. In a key inclusion to center frontline perspectives, Skerrit has also mandated direct representation from practicing doctors, ensuring that the panel’s deliberations are grounded in the day-to-day realities of working at the facility and can develop practical, targeted solutions.
Beyond the new committee structure, Skerrit has called for a strengthened leadership role for the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in hospital administration and public healthcare delivery. He recommended that the CMO hold more frequent regular check-ins with doctors and nursing staff, a change designed to identify and address emerging grievances early before they escalate into larger, prolonged disputes.
Skerrit attributed many of the current challenges to gaps in communication between relevant authorities and the administrative division of the Ministry of Health. He noted that the new regular meeting cadence and clearer, more transparent communication channels should resolve existing misunderstandings and clear up backlogged outstanding issues quickly.
The prime minister stressed that the public should not alarm over the continuity of healthcare services across Dominica, noting that a collaborative, collective approach among all stakeholders will deliver rapid resolutions to the identified problems. He extended gratitude to all parties involved in the process, including DCFH doctors, the Ministry of Health, the hospital’s Board of Management, and the relevant union, specifically commending union leadership for their respectful, constructive approach to navigating the dispute.
Acknowledging that healthcare administration will continue to face new challenges over time, Skerrit said the ultimate objective of these reforms is to build a durable, responsive system that can address emerging concerns in the shortest possible timeframe.