Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit confirmed on Wednesday that outstanding September salaries for 16 doctors employed directly by the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital (DCFH) Authority have been paid, resolving a brief protest action that raised concerns over public health management earlier in the week.
Speaking following a consultative meeting with health officials, hospital administration, trade union representatives, and affected physicians, Prime Minister Skerrit clarified the administrative breakdown that triggered the strike and announced structural changes to prevent future payroll disruptions.
According to Skerrit, the public health system in Dominica employs approximately 70 doctors overall. While the majority are employed directly by the Ministry of Health and received their September pay on schedule, a subset of 15 to 16 physicians contracted directly under the DCFH Authority experienced non-payment.
Skerrit explained that the payment failure stemmed from internal administrative delays within the hospital authority’s payment system rather than a shortage of government funds. In addition to basic salaries, minor disputes over outstanding allowances—affecting between two and four doctors—were linked to onboarding delays and system entry omissions.
“A cheque covering the 16 doctors’ salaries was sent to the hospital authority, and the funds were being transferred to their respective bank accounts,” Skerrit stated, confirming that the backlog had been cleared.
To ensure that payroll breakdowns do not recur, the Prime Minister announced that the central government will shift direct responsibility for paying the 16 hospital authority doctors to the Ministry of Health beginning in October.
Additional budgetary allocations have been made to the Ministry of Health to seamlessly incorporate these physicians into the main civil service payroll framework, effectively bypassing the hospital authority’s separate disbursement mechanism.
Reflecting on the discussions, Skerrit described the meeting with medical staff and union leaders as respectful and constructive. While acknowledging that operational challenges persist within Dominica’s healthcare infrastructure, he defended the administration’s long-term record on public health.
“We’re not saying that there are not things to be addressed, but no one can contest the investment of this government over time in the health system of Dominica, including the training of doctors and the engagement of doctors,” Skerrit asserted.
With salary disbursements finalized and payroll oversight transferred to the ministry, hospital operations at DCFH have returned to normal.
