JMDA gives UHWI ultimatum
Published:Thursday | February 5, 2026 | 12:19 AM
The Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA) has issued an ultimatum for the management of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) to take steps to resolve a number of long-standing issues. Failing this, the JMDA said it could not guarantee normal operations at the facility.
In a letter dated February 4, 2026 to Acting Chief Executive Officer Eric Hosin, a copy of which The Gleaner has seen, the JMDA set a February 11 deadline for the management of the hospital to meet with the association to discuss “questionable practices relating to doctors’ compensation, staff inadequacies, and the negative impact it is having on patients”.
The JMDA warned that “if the UHWI fails to take immediate and meaningful steps to resolve the issues by the stated deadline”, it would have no alternative but to advise its membership. It said in such circumstances normality cannot be guaranteed.
The letter stated that the JMDA was “extremely disappointed” with the manner in which the hospital has continued to engage with the doctors of the association.
According to the JMDA, since 2024, it has made numerous attempts to meaningfully engage the UHWI to address several concerns, including staffing shortages, breaches of compensation arrangements, and serious patient safety concerns.
When The Gleaner contacted Hosin yesterday for comment on the issue, he indicated that the hospital would respond to queries through its communications personnel.