St. Clare's Mercy Hospital Doctors Submit Mass Resignation Over Unsafe Working Conditions • Over Here Toronto

Five internal medicine doctors at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital in St. John’s, Newfoundland, have submitted a formal notice of resignation, citing unsafe working conditions that they believe threaten both patient care and the well-being of medical providers. The mass resignation, set to take effect on October 1, 2025, has sparked concerns about the hospital’s ability to maintain critical healthcare services.

A Cry for Action: Doctors Will Cease Extra Duties

The five physicians—Michael Jakovac, Olatunji Odumosu, Stephanie Genge, Sanampreet Gurm, and Evan Wee—are part of the hospital’s internal medicine department, responsible for treating emergency patients and those admitted for ongoing care. As part of their resignation notice, the doctors will cease performing any duties outside their contractual obligations, including evening and weekend shifts, starting July 1, 2025.

The doctors state in their resignation letter that they can no longer work under current conditions without compromising patient safety and the health of the medical team. They describe the environment as increasingly unsustainable, citing staffing shortages and a lack of resources, particularly following the removal of the hospital’s resident support.

No Action from Health Authorities

In their resignation letter, the doctors express frustration that Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (NLHS) has not provided a concrete plan to address the staffing crisis and the reduction in patient coverage. The letter states that the NLHS has deferred responsibility, failing to take action to resolve the growing concerns.

The health authority has yet to comment directly on the resignation letter but has issued a statement expressing its commitment to maintaining patient care during staffing challenges. They emphasized their ongoing relationships with healthcare providers, though many feel this response is insufficient.

The Impact of Staff Resignations

This mass resignation could leave St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital in a precarious position. The hospital routinely manages 100 internal medicine patients and handles 15 to 20 emergency room consultations daily. The loss of resident coverage from July 1 will further complicate the ability to handle Code Blue emergencies—heart or respiratory arrests—due to a lack of trained personnel. The doctors warn that this lack of coverage poses a serious risk to patient outcomes and could lead to disastrous results.

Growing Concerns at the Health Sciences Centre

The Health Sciences Centre, also in St. John’s, has weighed in on the crisis, warning against the idea of transferring the workload from St. Clare’s. Internists at the Health Sciences Centre have co-signed a letter urging NLHS not to shift the burden to their hospital, which is already operating at full capacity.

According to the letter, the Health Sciences Centre does not have the space, infrastructure, or staffing necessary to absorb the additional workload. The doctors argue that attempting to do so would only exacerbate the crisis.

A Call for Immediate Action

The internal medicine teams at both St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital and the Health Sciences Centre are calling for immediate engagement from the health authority. They are demanding a written response outlining how the NLHS plans to ensure safe and sustainable internal medicine coverage at St. Clare’s beyond July 1, 2025.

Do you believe the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services can resolve this issue in time to ensure patient safety?

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St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital Doctors Submit Mass Resignation Over Unsafe Working Conditions