Dookeran plays for UNC leadership

ST AUGUSTINE MP Winston Dookeran yesterday attempted to impress UNC Leader Basdeo Panday into choosing him as his heir apparent, but was cut down in mid-stride by a double salvo from Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Planning Minister Dr Keith Rowley. Speaking during debate on amendments to the Medical Board Act in Parliament, Dookeran accused Health Minister Colm Imbert of trying to regulate the medical profession and “using a political agenda to teach the doctors a lesson”. “To use legislation to do that is an act of irresponsibility,” Dookeran stated. “Beautiful..Beautiful..Good point!” Panday quipped from his seat as Dookeran spoke and frequently gazed upon the St Augustine MP with pride. While conceding there was need for the political directorate to exert some level of control over the health sector, Dookeran claimed the Act would “open the door to a whole new area of confusion”.

Backed by taunting from Opposition Chief Whip Ganga Singh and Couva South MP Kelvin Ramnath, Dookeran claimed Imbert was trying “to establish two classes of doctors in this country” and the Medical Board “had served with dignity”. However when asked by Manning if the UNC had an alternative model to suggest, Dookeran had no answer. The Prime Minister reminded Dookeran about Cabinet’s Standing Committee on the Social Sector and said there was now “a significant shift in public expenditure”, contrary to his (Dookeran’s) claims of Government solely using the public sector as the engine of transformation in TT. “That is a step in the right direction,” the UNC MP conceded.