LETTER: “Solidarity in Crisis, Silence in Struggle: A Young Doctor’s Call for Change”
Dear Editor,
I write this not only as a young physician at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, but as someone who has chosen to serve the people of Antigua and Barbuda with compassion, resilience, and hope – qualities that are being tested now more than ever.
The recent fire at the Gambles Medical Centre is a tragedy that has shaken our medical community to its core. The loss suffered by our colleagues is not merely physical – it is deeply personal and profoundly professional. Years of sacrifice, patient trust, and dedication have gone up in flames. My heart goes out to every physician, staff member, and patient affected. We stand with you in grief, in solidarity, and in the quiet understanding of just how fragile the systems we depend on can be.
But in moments like these, when the medical community is called to unity, we must also confront uncomfortable truths.
The statement issued by the Medical Association of Antigua and Barbuda speaks of solidarity – and yet, for many of us on the frontlines, solidarity has long felt selective. It is difficult to reconcile the eloquence of sympathy in times of public tragedy with the deafening silence that persists around the daily struggles of young physicians at our nation’s only public hospital.
The role of any medical association is clear: to advocate for its members, to uphold standards, and to protect the welfare of both physicians and patients. Yet, for many junior doctors, that protection feels absent. We endure extended working hours, inadequate support, and conditions that strain not only our physical health but our mental well-being. We carry the burden of a system that demands everything from us, while offering little in return.
Where has the Association been for those who are overworked, underpaid, and increasingly disillusioned?
Where has it stood for those who are quietly targeted, undermined, or marginalized within a system that seems to favor hierarchy over fairness?
There is a growing sense among young doctors that representation is not only lacking – it is structurally absent. At one point, the overlap between the Medical Council and the Association meant that those who felt wronged had nowhere to turn. There was no independent body, no avenue for appeal, no voice for the voiceless. That legacy continues to cast a long shadow.
Equally troubling is the Association’s muted response to policies that directly affect the future of the profession. The so-called “gateway” laws have created barriers that exclude and ostracize young, qualified doctors seeking to serve their own country. These are not abstract policy debates – they are real obstacles affecting real people, many of whom have returned home with a genuine desire to give back, only to find themselves shut out.
And still, there is silence.
This is not merely about policy or governance. It is about class. It is about who is seen, who is heard, and who is deemed worthy of support.
We are told to endure. To wait our turn. To accept the system as it is. But medicine is not built on silence. It is built on advocacy – first for our patients, and also for each other.
If we can come together in moments of visible tragedy, we must also find the courage to stand together in addressing the invisible crises that persist every single day within our healthcare system.
To our colleagues affected by the fire: we grieve with you, and we will support you in every way we can.
But to those entrusted with representing us: we ask – respectfully, but firmly – that you do better. That you listen. That you act. That you remember that the strength of this profession lies not only in its most established members, but in those who are just beginning their journey.
Because if we continue to ignore the voices of the next generation, we risk losing far more than buildings – we risk losing the future of healthcare in Antigua and Barbuda. As my seniors, I can learn a lot from you about being politically correct and looking glamorous for the cameras, but I do have a lot to share truly loving the people we took an oath to serve!
Concerned Physician