NWRHA Chairman: No resignations

Chairman of the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), Dr Patrick Watson yesterday said the Board of Directors is proceeding with business as usual and has no intention of  resigning.

“Until I hear from the Minister I am not going to respond to this matter,” Watson said in a telephone interview when asked if the Board was prepared to resign. He received no instructions yesterday from the Minister. The Board met on Tuesday and the issue of the Health Ministry’s representative resigning was not raised by the official. The Permanent Secretary in the Health Ministry Reynold Cooper has written Ministry officials and verbally communicated to Boards of the Regional Health Authorities — North, West, South and Eastern, that they tender their resignation as a new Health Minister, John Rahael had been appointed. “This has never happened before,” said Watson. He added that if this took place then other State  Boards should resign because a new Minister has been assigned. Watson said he is unsure of the legality of the Permanent Secretary asking the Regional Health Authority Boards to resign. He said his appointment was a Cabinet decision and his instrument of appointment was signed by the President George Maxwell Richards. Watson said his appointment is between the Government and himself and he did not think an official of the Health Ministry could ask him to resign.

Meanwhile, one Health official on an RHA Board confirmed that the PS had in fact recommended that they submit their resignations. But the decision was left for their  “consideration.” In the letter sent to the Ministry officials serving on Boards, Cooper said their appointment was at the behest of former Health Minister Colm Imbert and “in the circumstances, it would be prudent to immediately offer your resignation to Minister John Rahael.” The PS said this would allow the new Minister to review the appointment of Health officials on Boards.