GPSU desirous of seeing COI report into complaints against Matron

Dec 28, 2016 News

…but not prepared to accept its findings and recommendations

“We are not prepared to accept the findings and recommendations,” said First Vice President

GPSU Vice President, Mortimer Livan

of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), Mortimer Livan, of a recently completed Commission of Inquiry (COI) into complaints levelled against Matron of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Sister Collene Hicks.
Hicks was sent on administrative leave earlier this year to facilitate the inquiry which commenced in October. A report of the inquiry has been handed over to Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, and states that Hicks’ continued service at the GPHC would not be in the best interest of the public health institution.
Minister Norton told this publication that the recommendations will more than likely be implemented. He however noted that Cabinet will be tasked with deciding on the way forward.
But Livan in an invited comment to this publication yesterday said that although the union has not yet been privy to the report handed over to the Minister, it will not be receptive of the findings. In fact, he reminded that this was the decision of the union from the inception.
“We had objected from the beginning…from the inception we did not agree to the inquiry, because we thought it would be biased,” said Livan, as he disclosed that the union hasn’t to date gotten word of the findings, even from the member it recommended to sit on the Committee.
The members included Mr. Reginald Brotherson, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Public Service within the Ministry of the Presidency – who was recommended by the union; former GPSU General Secretary turned Attorney-at-law, Chandrawattie Persaud, the Chairperson; Ms. Laurelle Daw, Director of Nursing Service 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.
The Committee was tasked with assessing the truthfulness of the allegations or complaints made against the Matron and make a determination as to whether these have been injurious or destructive to the effective and efficient delivery of the health care delivered at the GPHC.
The Committee was guided by a Terms of Reference (TOR), which required that it 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 Matron.
Among other things, the COI was expected to specifically examine the promotion of nurses under the Matron to determine whether these were based on merit. Added to this, the Committee was tasked with examining the relationship between the Matron and the doctors of the institution to ascertain if this affected the delivery of health care at the hospital.
Even before the process had commenced, the GPSU, which has been representing Hicks’ interest, said that it had no confidence in the Committee or the findings it was likely to produce. This was in light of its belief that the Committee consisted of individuals who had close links to the hospital. It had, moreover, concluded that the association of some of the members of the Committee could influence the conduct of the inquiry, making it prejudicial against the subject of the inquiry.
In this regard, the Union had informed that although it had sent multiple letters to then Board Chairman, Dr. Carl ‘Max’ Hanoman, the Board went ahead with the selected Committee without considering its concerns. But Dr. Hanoman had insisted that the Board, which is now dissolved, had consulted with the Union and even delayed the investigation so that it could nominate a member to the Committee.
Livan maintained yesterday that the union had not embraced the continuance of the investigation without efforts being made to address its concerns. He however disclosed that the union will be desirous of seeing the report.
“We want to see the report and what it entails, but this does not mean that we will agree with what it recommends,” said Livan, as he revealed that the union has plans to shortly share its views on the state of affairs.

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