by TREVOR YEARWOOD

IT'S BUSINESS AS usual for doctors at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

The Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) has agreed not to strike or take other industrial action at this time.

But it is still trying to find solutions to problems it has with the institution's chief executive officer, Winston Collymore.

There were widespread fears that doctors would have gone on strike yesterday. They went as far as announcing a brief hold on routine clinics or surgery as the association met in the QEH auditorium from 8 a.m. yesterday to look at how to tackle a number of grievances.

But at the end of the discussions involving just over 80 consultants, junior doctors and interns, BAMP president Dr Carlos Chase, told the SATURDAY SUN: "Our members decided that they would not take any industrial action at this point in time. We will pursue the matter along a different course."

Chase declined to elaborate. He admitted, however, that "our chief concern is with the CEO". BAMP will soon be making a statement to this effect, he added.

He gave no details of BAMP's concerns about Collymore. However, the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) has been complaining about "wrongful management decisions" at the QEH and its general secretary Dennis Clarke said the union had come to the conclusion that there is maladministration in the hospital and that staff are being unfairly targeted.

That union has given the QEH's new board until Monday to meet with it to "reverse the current wrongful management decisions".

This week, the NUPW complained about the QEH's management's attempts to dismiss its director of human resources, Ann Marie Lorde, while BAMP had concerns over the extension of the six-month probation period of director of medical services, Dr Brian Charles for another month. (TY)