There is no longer a doctor assigned to the Capoon's Bay Clinic on Fridays, however, on call medical coverage continues to address all medical emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Doctors are assigned to the Capoon’s Bay clinic on Mondays and Tuesdays and nurses are available daily to serve clients at the clinics and with home visits, according to the British Virgin Islands Health Services Authority (BVIHSA). Photo: VINO

It was First District Representative Hon. Andrew A. Fahie who had raised the issue in the House of Assembly Sitting of April 30, 2013 and had cited that senior citizens in that part of his district were worried that they were no longer able to see a doctor at the Capoon’s Bay Clinic on Fridays. Photo: VINO/File

According to the BVIHSA, the change in schedule for doctors’ visits to the Capoon's Bay Clinic is due to a 'brief interruption in manpower' and that a temporary measure had to be implemented, thus affecting the Friday Schedule until the end of May. As of June 1, 2013, the regular schedule will resume, the BVIHSA said. Photo: VINO/File

Dr. Anthony Ibrahim is one of two doctors who have recently resigned from the BVIHSA. Photo: VINO/File

It was First District Representative Hon. Andrew A. Fahie who had raised the issue in the House of Assembly Sitting of April 30, 2013 and had cited that senior citizens in that part of his district were worried that they were no longer able to see a doctor at the Capoon’s Bay Clinic on Fridays.

Hon. Fahie had told the House that his constituents had alerted him of the situation at the clinic and he had brought it to the attention of the Minister for Health, Hon. Ronnie W. Skelton.

The District Representative’s concern was that residents of the First District were not given prior notice that the doctor would no longer be available at the clinic on Fridays.

“I plea that the powers that be to do some announcement out of respect for the people...I am not saying that all changes are good. Change has never met with happiness anywhere in the world, but whatever section you know you could take care of to have a smooth transition, do it.”

Hon. Fahie said he was told by some senior citizens that the doctor was no longer visiting the clinic on Fridays because he had been re-assigned. “There is a nurse there but the nurse could only do so much.”

Virgin Islands News Online sought answers from the BVIHSA and received a response from Public Relations Officer Mrs Tamara Archibald-Gill, who confirmed there was no longer a doctor assigned to the clinic on Fridays.

“On call medical coverage continues to address all medical emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Doctors are assigned to the Capoon’s Bay clinic on Mondays and Tuesdays and nurses are available daily to serve clients at the clinics and with home visits,” Mrs Archibald-Gill said.

Noting the reason for the change in schedule for doctors’ visits to the clinic, Mrs Archibald-Gill said “However, due to a brief interruption in manpower, a temporary measure had to be implemented, thus affecting the Friday Schedule until the end of May. As of June 1, 2013, the regular schedule will resume.

Resignation of two doctors

Virgin Islands News Online could not confirm whether the “interruption in manpower”, as mention by the BVIHSA, is as a result of the recent resignation of two well known doctors from the BVIHSA.

This news site had reported on May 2, 2013 that a local doctor, who was suspended by the British Virgin Islands Health Services Authority for reasons still unknown to this news site, had tendered his resignation.

The doctor, who is said to be a community doctor and also has a private practice at a popular medical service entity, had allegedly tendered his resignation on Friday April 26, 2013.

According to reports reaching Virgin Islands News Online, the VIslander doctor made it clear in his resignation letter that he could no longer continue working with a senior manager within the BVIHSA.

The General Medical Practitioner could not be reached for comment and the BVIHSA did not respond to this news site’s queries at the time of our May 2, 2013 publication.

Chief Executive Officer of the BVIHSA Ms Darlene Carty-Baptiste had previously said the matter was a personnel one that was being dealt with internally.

The local doctor’s resignation came just about a month after long serving doctor at Peebles Hospital, Anthony Ibrahim, decided to call it quits allegedly because of internal squabbles and his contract not being renewed for some eight months.