B.M.D.U. president did not intentionally miss meeting

But as volatile as the situation is at the K.H.M.H., the doctors say they are willing to sit at the negotiating table. And in response to an official release on Tuesday afternoon which said that the B.M.D.U. did not show up for a meeting with the Minister and others, Doctor John Sosa said it was not personal or intentional. Sosa said that Labour Commissioner, Ivan Williams, had reached him to say he wanted to meet with the Board and the Union but there was not enough time to determine who would attend. This was followed by a communication breakdown.

Dr John Sosa, President, B.M.D.U.
“He at that time did not give me a time for the meeting. I did not know. I went to my private practice, because I had not been working all week, and they sent a fax, and I think some of you have seen it already, at two-thirty and the time is here on the fax, for a meeting at three o’clock. So when I came out of seeing a patient at around quarter to four they gave me the fax and I said well this seems a bit unfair. So when he called me again at five more or less I said you know what, call off your meeting, we will not go because I cannot get to see all the doctors, have a meeting, decide who will go when doctors have other things that they do. We don’t work eight to five jobs and not all are in one place. That’s not how we work. They also have in this letter that we have a trade dispute, and I’m not really sure if it is a trade dispute because the doctors are working at the hospital presently.”

Sosa said the doctors will continue on their regular shifts. Late this evening, the K.H.M.H. Board issued a statement on DVD refuting the charges made by the B.M.D.U. More on this tomorrow.