The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A YOUNG physician who claimed her contract with the Public Hospitals Authority was changed without notice shortly before she was laid off, said the “unexpected” termination has made her feel “disposed” of and has brought on significant hardships.

Dr Curtika Armbrister, who was instrumental in providing care for mild and moderate COVID-19 patients at the height of the pandemic, said she was shocked when she was told the terms of her contract had changed and that her labour agreement would not be renewed.

“We have two to three-year contracts and my contract was up in October last year,” she said. “When I spoke to the senior doctor, she told me not to worry about it. She didn’t give me any indication that my contract terms were changed, but in March of this year, I was informed that it was no longer a two to three-year contract, but a month-to-month one. They also told me this was my last month, so I was mandated to go on vacation because I had nine weeks left. They said they would eventually pay me out for the other five weeks.”

Dr Armbrister said she worked in the Obstetrician-Gynaecologist (OBGYN) Department at Princess Margaret Hospital from 2014, until she was transferred to the South Beach COVID-19 Urgent Care and Referral Centre in August 2020. She said she was notified of the transfer three days before she was stationed at the clinic. Luckily, the staff at the health centre were extremely helpful in sharing their experience which made her feel “a bit more at ease”, she said.

“You were not going to volunteer to work at South Beach, so they had to really find doctors,” she said. “When I first came in, we were working eight-hour shifts and then at one point, we were working 12-hour shifts. You had two physicians on a day due to a shortage. So, you’re working a 12-hour shift and you’re dealing with high-risk patients that can turn (for the worse) at any second. You’re hoping for the best and you have to do it... you don’t have that option... we had to make it work.”

Dr Armbrister said after contributing to the fight to deter the spread of COVID-19 in the country, she felt “betrayed” when she learned her position was being terminated. She also said she believed her transfer to the “COVID centre” was “due in part” to a previous request she had made to be removed from PMH’s OBGYN department after her mother had died there when she was on call.

“Last year my mum passed. She had cancer and I happened to be there when they were administering CPR, so I was there for her last breath. After that experience, I told them I needed a break because if there were other patients that came in with a similar cancer diagnosis, I didn’t feel prepared to (treat them).

“I told them I preferred to work somewhere else, but I was not transferred right away. My mother died in May, but I was transferred in August. Her death was about four days prior to Mother’s Day last year and now that it’s Mother’s Day again, to be without a job due in part to this loss is traumatising.”

Dr Armbrister said she felt the situation could have been “handled a lot better” as they were all mature professionals who were “trying to fight the fight”.

Insisting the way the process was executed made her feel “let down,” she added: “It’s all about communication. If your intention is that you want to downsize on physicians, then don’t send me to work at the COVID centre blindly saying ‘Work these hours,’ but when I question and say, ‘Okay what’s happening with the contract?’ you tell me ‘Don’t worry about it.’

“I have a family with three kids... We were trying to purchase a home because we are renting. We’re living on the little savings we have accumulated, but to make matters worse, they cut my salary right away. They said, ‘We’ll pay you,’ but when I inquired about the five-week pay they said it’s not even ready yet. I still have a family to feed so besides being such short notice, it made me feel pretty much disposable and disrespected.”

Dr Armbrister said because she does not have a private licence, she is unable to work independently from the PHA. She said while this particular fact has left her feeling helpless, her greatest desire is to return to the frontline as an essential worker.

“I actually loved working at the COVID centre. It sounds strange but just seeing people come from a point where they have this affliction, and they are improving makes you feel happy you can help them. I would love to go back to work, it’s just so sad we’re at a point where it seems like people are disposable...To do this to somebody who was essentially putting their life on the line for their country is sad.”

When The Tribune contacted PHA’S managing director, Catherine Weech, for comment she said she would have to “look into” Dr Armbrister’s claims. She added the PHA had an “industrial obligation” to ensure physicians were given the “requisite notice of six months”.

“Over ten years ago, the government made a decision to allow the PHA to engage physicians and other employees on contractual terms,” she told this newspaper.

“What it basically means for this particular group of individuals, is that we recognise the growing number of physician staff at some point will become more than what we require to run the organisation. Each year, we have over 30 physicians graduating from house officers requiring employment within the PHA. And obviously the PHA wants to be in a position to be able to offer those new interns employment to allow them an opportunity to be able to be trained and get the requisite exposure so as to allow them to be able to qualify for independent private practice. So, in the circumstances, all of these individuals now are being engaged on contractual terms.”