GPHC Board removes CEO

Jun 09, 2017 News

– recently appointed Deputy to fill void

Less than a week after naming a former Army Chief as its Deputy Chief Executive Officer [DCEO], the Board of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation has removed its acting Chief Executive Officer [CEO], Mr. Allan Johnson.

Mr. Allan Johnson

The result of this action, according to information emanating from the Public Health Ministry, is that the new DCEO, Brigadier George Lewis, will be required to act in the position of CEO. The development will take effect from today.
In a statement issued by the Ministry, it was revealed that “Acting Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC], Mr. Allan Johnson, was removed from the post with effect from Friday, June 9, 2017,” Chairman of the Board of Directors Kesaundra Alves announced.
Alves, according to the statement, said that the Board unanimously decided to remove Johnson following a series of lapses, which included the embarrassment of the Corporation before the Public Accounts Committee [PAC] last month end.
In a letter to Johnson, Alves outlined that “the incident before PAC has embarrassed the Board and staff of this Corporation and, to our dismay, has caused the public to question the desire of the Board for transparency and accountability in the handling of the Corporation’s money”.
The letter continued, “The GPHC Board also had cause to question your judgment on a number of occasions. Moreover, you continue to be absent or request early release from Board and Board Committee meetings…(and) are therefore consistently unavailable to supply the Board with pertinent information or to take instructions from the Board.”
The letter concluded by noting that, the Board valued Johnson’s “time and efforts at GPHC” and wished him “the very best of health and success.”
Johnson, a former CEO of the New Amsterdam Hospital, was seconded from that hospital in 2015, to function at the GPHC as its CEO. A new CEO has however since been appointed at the New Amsterdam Hospital in the person of Mr. Colin Bynoe.
The Ministry up to press time had not issued an advisory indicating what the final fate of Johnson would be.
Johnson was required to act in the stead of then-substantive CEO, Mr Michael Khan, who was sent on administrative leave to allow for the completion of an audit of the hospital’s procurement practice. Khan had proceeded on administrative leave with effect from September 9, 2015.
Although Khan had returned to work after the audit process, the report of the findings had in fact detailed that Khan was guilty of a number of infractions, which resulted in moves being made for the hospital to sever ties with him. Khan was subsequently sent on administrative leave again which is set to be concluded at the end of his contract next month, after which his contract will not be renewed.
Under the previous GPHC Board, which was led by Dr. Carl ‘Max’ Hanoman, the Board had moved a ‘no confidence’ motion against Johnson, citing a number of reasons. Although Johnson was off the job for a period, reportedly due to ill health, a decision was made for him to continue to act as CEO with the dissolution of the previous Board.