GPHC Board ‘baffled’ by GPSU’s move to challenge incomplete COI

Nov 09, 2016 News

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“Baffled” is how the Board of Directors of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation

(GPHC) has described the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU’) reaction to its ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI) into allegations leveled against Director of Nursing Services (Matron), Sister Collene Hicks.
Hicks, who has reportedly been in conflict with the management of the GPHC soon after being appointed to the position of Director of Nursing Services last year, has been well represented by the Union.
However she was sent on administrative leave earlier this year to facilitate investigations into her conduct.
Based on the COI’s Terms of Reference, the Commission is expected to compile, through interviews with staff of the hospital, including doctors and nurses or through investigations, a list of allegations or complaints of displeasure or misconduct against the Director of Nursing Services.
But the GPSU has stated that it has no confidence in the COI. This development has perplexed the GPHC Board Directors.
In a statement from the hospital it was disclosed that “the GPHC’s Board of Directors is baffled with the Union’s position that the Commission of Inquiry is biased since the composition of the very GPHC Board of Directors is made up of a representative from the Union who participates in the decision making of the Board and has never objected or rejected the decision to constitute a Commission of Inquiry.”
According to the statement, the Union representative’s only objection was the size of the investigating body. It was clarified in detail that the objective was to ensure that the inquiry can benefit from a wide cross section of professionals who can ensure that Ms. Colleen Hicks’s matter is dealt with in an equitable and transparent manner.
It was pointed out that the Management of the GPHC, in its effort to operate in a transparent and accountable manner, “has always treated the GPSU in a cordial manner since this is in keeping with the principles set out by the Government of Guyana to ensure that the procedures and proper Industrial Relation practices are exercised to give our employees the right to due process and natural justice.”
According to the statement disseminated by the hospital, the GPHC Board of Directors has received several letters from the GPSU during the period July 2016 to October 2016 with respect to the Union’s concerns of the COI involving Hicks.
But it was underscored that “With reference to the Union’s letter dated July 22, 2016, the GPHC’s Board of Directors would like to state vividly that it cannot understand the Union’s disagreement and use of the term “obviously biased” when in fact the Board was in the preliminary stages of deciding on the Commission when this letter was written.”
As it relates to the second letter dated September 15, 2016, although the Union wrote about the Board being biased and that it disagreed with the Board’s setting up of the Inquiry, it still submitted a nominee to sit on the Commission to represent its interest.
The Union’s nominee, according to the statement, still continues to sit and is currently active in the work of the COI.
On October 10, 2016, the Board of Directors once again received a letter from the Union stating that it is of the view that the COI is “too unwieldy and that a smaller Commission would better serve the purpose.”
The Union expressed its view that persons sitting on the Commission should have no relationship with the Georgetown Public Hospital, whether it was past, present or future. In fact the Union further shared its belief that the Commission is a loaded dice and therefore it will not support it.
While the governing Board of Directors can only view the GPSU’s position on the Commission of Inquiry as unfortunate, “We are determined to operate in an environment where our procedures are transparent in ensuring that our employees are accountable for their actions,” added the hospital’s statement.
But the Union in stating, publicly, its reservation and lack of confidence in the outcome of the inquiry, explained that its reaction was due to the fact that the association of some of the members of the Commission could influence the conduct of the inquiry making it prejudicial against the subject of the inquiry.
The Union informed, too, that even after multiple letters to the Board Chairman, Dr. Carl ‘Max’ Hanoman, “the GPHC went ahead with the Commission as originally set out.”
It pointed out too that the COI has started and has essentially disregarded the concerns of the Union. Included in the union’s concerns is the fact that there has been departure from standard practice and obvious inclusion of elements whose credibility the Union challenges.
In addition to Mr. Reginald Brotherson, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Public Service within the Ministry of the Presidency who was chosen to by the Union to be a part of the Commission, other members include former GPSU General Secretary turned Attorney-at-law, Chandrawattie Persaud, the Chairperson; Ms. Laurelle Daw, Director of Nursing Services at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital for the past seven years; Dr. Anwar Hussain who has racked-up decades of service at the GPHC and former Auditor General, Mr. Anand Goolsarran.

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