Over 1,100 doctors who voted in the Medical Board elections last week did not approve the Draft Medical Board Specialist Registration Regulations 2024 that seeks to enforce more stringent entry into the T&T Medical Specialist Register.
The Draft Medical Board Continuous Professional Development and Training of Medical Practitioners Regulations 2024, was also not passed with 84 per cent (1,409 doctors) showing opposition to continuous training and development.
Continuous training is a requirement of doctors in most parts of the world and the Caribbean because of changing medical technology and research which allows doctors to stay abreast on the latest treatments and procedures, maintain their licences and improve the quality of care they provide. However, a source said this is not the case in T&T where some doctors have been obtaining specialist and sub-specialist status even though they do not qualify.
Details of the votes were obtained by Guardian Media. The ballots were emailed from the virtual platform to 4,198 fully registered members of the Board, who are in good financial standing. Out of this, a total of 1,684 ballots were cast on the virtual platform. A breakdown of the results of the elections also revealed that 72 per cent, representing 1,209 doctors were not in favour of the Council of the Medical Board of T&T conveying resolutions to Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh.
which once approved, will be published and implemented.
Out of the 1,684 people who voted about changes to the Specialist Registration, 69 per cent which represented 1,162 people were not in favour of the proposed changes. However, 376 people were in favour of the changes while 146 people abstained from casting a vote.
The changes to the Specialist Registration came after concerns were raised that unqualified and inexperienced doctors were practising in T&T as specialists.
Last week the president of the Medical Council, Dr Neil Singh also expressed concerns about “unqualified medical specialists” practising in T&T, saying the Medical Board is currently reviewing its criteria for specialist registration.
“We are very concerned about doctors who are calling themselves specialists and entered into the Register. We are trying to clean this up. Too many of them out there,” he said. Dr Singh explained that if the new amendments were passed, there would be a three to six months transition period before the new rules take effect.
Last week Minister Deyalsingh said these matters will have to be dealt with by the Legislative Review Committee. He said he would wait for MBTT comments to take to the LRC.
In a statement issued yesterday, Deyalsingh denied that he or his ministry was “going after unqualified specialist doctors”.
He reiterated that the matter is to be dealt with by the Legislative Review Committee.
“The implication that the Minister of Health and/or the Ministry of Health plans to take action against unqualified specialist doctors is erroneous,” he said.
He added: “Doctors are regulated by the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago pursuant to the Medical Board Act, Chapter 29:50. To further clarify, please note that there is a package of draft legislative amendments to amend the Medical Board Act and these include amendments to the requirements for being registered as a medical specialist.”
He said the package of draft legislative amendments was based on recommendations from the Medical Board and is still under review.
Getting it Right
In a story published by Guardian Media on Monday March 10, our headline inaccurately stated that Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh is going after unqualified specialist doctors. It is in fact the Medical Board, which is an independent body, and not the Minister seeking to make changes to the specialist regulations. We regret the inaccuracy.