Minister summons meeting to discuss release of Cheryl Miller

The result of those tests will form part of a lawsuit which will be filed by Miller’s attorneys in time for Thursday’s court hearing.

On Good Friday, Justice Vashiest Kokaram ordered that Miller be released from the St Ann’s hospital. The court order comes to an end on Thursday. Newsday understands that Miller’s attorneys are confident that their motion will succeed in court and she will be able to return to her job and continue her life.

It remained unclear yesterday if Miller has been taking the medication prescribed to her by doctors at the St Ann’s hospital but sources revealed that she has been advised against doing so.

At her home in “China Town” an area along the St Francois Valley Road, Miller was reported to be resting and has been taking it easy since being released.

Her sister Doreen told Newsday neighbours and relatives have been supporting the family.

She said all her sister wants is to continue to live her life as she was accustomed doing before being snatched from her workplace at the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development by mental health officers on March 21.

“The family is very grateful for the outpouring of love we have been getting and it just goes to show that there are still many good people in Trinidad and Tobago” said Doreen.

Newsday understands that Minister of Health Dr Fuad Khan has summoned officials from the North-West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), doctors at the St Ann’s hospital and others to a meeting tomorrow to discuss the facts leading up to Miller being warded as well as her release from the St Ann’s hospital on Friday afternoon.

Khan told Newsday that his Permanent Secretary Antonia Popplewell will also attend the meeting.

He said a report from all parties was forwarded to him and he has also spoken to doctors who treated Miller. He said the meeting tomorrow will give him a better idea of the “whole situation involving the patient.”

He said he has also received a report from the Chief Executive Officer from the North-West Regional Health Authority, Judith Baliram Ramoutar.“I stand by the doctors’ diagnosis in this matter and I also comply with the court. But the meeting on Tuesday will give me a clearer picture in the matter,” he said.

Miller said she was anxious to return to her job and thanked colleagues and the public for the overwhelming support she received.

Miller’s plight was featured exclusively in Newsday last week when this newspaper reported that she had been taken to the St Ann’s hospital against her will by mental health officers following an outburst on the job.

Her sister Doreen and colleagues staged lunchtime protests outside Tower D to condemn the incident and this resulted in the intervention of President of the PSA Watson Duke, who hired a battery of lawyers to seek Miller’s legal interests.

Miller claims she was constantly being harassed by a colleague and this led to her outburst on March 21.

She also insisted that she is not mad and just wants to get on with her life. Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development Verna St Rose-Graves has already accepted full responsibility for the incident although she insisted that she was not the one who called in the mental health officers. Miller’s co-workers said yesterday that if she is not allowed to return to her job then the necessary action will be taken which could lead to a crippling of operations at that ministry.