THE Medical Professionals Associa-tion of Trinidad and Tobago (MPATT) condemned what it claimed was blatant wage discrimination being unleashed upon doctors by the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) and the Health Ministry. In a statement yesterday, MPATT Asst Secretary Dr Lakhan Roop also slammed special arrangements allegedly being put in place for  the arrival of Cuban doctors in Trinidad and Tobago.

Roop said during a meeting at the San Fernando General Hospital yesterday, the doctors expressed their frustration with the manner in which the RHAs have conducted negotiations thus far. “The Joint Negotiating Team (JNT) of the RHAs made no effort to complete the negotiations by the stipulated time frame as set out by the Inter-Ministerial team,” he declared. Roop identified the main deficiencies in this process were the absence of the Chief Labour Officer (CLO) from the negotiations and frequent cancellations by the RHAs of the negotiation meetings. “The doctors again expressed their dissatisfaction with the totally unacceptable wage discrimination that is being practised by the RHAs and the Ministry of Health. Nowhere else in the Public Service does this wage discrimination apply,” he declared. According to Roop, other Public Service Officers in Tobago were earning salaries similar to their counterparts in Trinidad. “Only amongst the doctors there is an alarming disparity between the two islands,” he stated.

Roop claimed Government’s “poor industrial relations practice” caused this situation and “the public is being made to suffer by the RHAs and the Ministry not fulfilling their obligation to have the appropriate contracts available for the medical officers”.  He said doctors “are not prepared to be treated as second-class citizens”. On Tuesday, Public Administration Minister Dr Lenny Saith said the Inter-Ministerial Committee would not intervene unless advised that talks between the RHA team and the doctors had broken down. The MPATT official also criticised the Health Ministry for allegedly preparing on-site accommodation for Cuban doctors while no such provisions are made for local doctors. “The Ministry of Health already is prepared to treat Cuban doctors better than our nationals,” he claimed. The Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Port-of-Spain and San Fernando General Hospitals remained on emergency mode yesterday.

A disagreement has broken out at a senior level within the Bush administration over a new government that the US is secretly planning in Kuwait to rule Iraq in the immediate aftermath of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

Under the plan, the government will consist of 23 ministries, each headed by an American. Every ministry will also have four Iraqi advisers appointed by the Americans, the Guardian has learned. The government will take over Iraq city by city. Areas declared “liberated” by General Tommy Franks will be transferred to the temporary government under the overall control of Jay Garner, the former US general appointed to head a military occupation of Iraq. In anticipation of the Baghdad regime’s fall, members of this interim government have begun arriving in Kuwait. Decisions on the government’s composition appear to be entirely in US hands, particularly those of Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defence.

This has annoyed Gen Garner, who is officially in charge but who, according to sources close to the planning of the government, has had to accept a number of controversial Iraqis in advisory roles. The most controversial of Mr Wolfowitz’s proposed appointees is Ahmed Chalabi, the head of the opposition Iraqi National Congress, together with his close associates, including his nephew. During his years in exile, Mr Chalabi has cultivated links with Congress to raise funds, and has become the Pentagon’s darling among the Iraqi opposition. The defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, is one of his strongest supporters. The State Department and the CIA, on the other hand, regard him with deep suspicion. He has not lived in Iraq since 1956, apart from a short period organising resistance in the Kurdish north in the 1990s, and is thought to have little support in the country.

Mr Chalabi had envisaged becoming prime minister in an interim government, and is disappointed that no such post is included in the US plan. Instead, the former banker will be offered an advisory job at the finance ministry. A senior INC official said last night that Mr Chalabi would not countenance a purely advisory position. The official added: “It is certainly not the INC’s intention to advise any US ministers in Iraq. Our position is that no Americans should run Iraqi ministries. The US is talking about an interim Iraqi authority taking over, but we are calling for a provisional government.”

The revelation about direct rule is likely to cause intense political discomfort for Tony Blair, who has been pressing for UN and international involvement in Iraq’s reconstruction to overcome opposition in Britain as well as heal divisions across Europe. The Foreign Office said last night that a “relatively fluid” number of British officials had been seconded to the planning team. Last week Colin Powell, the US Secretary of  State, told Congress that immediately after the fall of President Saddam’s regime, the US military would take control of the Iraqi government. His only concession was that this would be done with the “full understanding” of the international community and with “the UN presence in the form of a special coordinator”.

THE FORMER Chairman of NIPDEC, Edward Bayley, at no time ever participated in discussions or negotiations for contracts as it pertained to the Piarco airport development project. 

On April 25, 1998 he indicated to the Board that based on information given in Parliament, that he was a Director of Maritime, out of an abundance of caution he would not preside over matters dealing with the project. Confirmation of these details were given yesterday by Margaret Thompson, NIPDEC’s General Manager when she was questioned by Bayley’s attorney Sonny Maharaj, SC. Instructing Maharaj is attorney Stuart Young.

Thompson recalled being told on September 10, 1998 by Bayley of her appointment as Acting General Manager. His announcement was made in the presence of several directors at a board meeting. She also confirmed that at the same meeting she was told that Trevor Romano, a Director would act as liaison between herself and the Board because she was new in the position. Thompson said it was not true to say that Bayley had lied to her about Romano’s role, because it was not recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Thompson agreed when she was promoted she received a $15,000 monthly acting allowance taking her monthly salary to $30,000. She confirmed that a memo from Bayley in which he stated that the Board had agreed to pay Romano $60,000 had not been found in NIPDEC’s files.

She said the first contract on the project, that is CP3 was executed on September 8, 1998 long after Bayley had decided not to take part in matters dealing with the project. She reiterated several times during her questioning that to her knowledge Bayley, never participated in any discussions or negotiations for contracts on the project, nor did he request information from her about the project. Thompson further said as far as she knows, companies with which Bayley, was a director, never entered into any contract with NIPDEC. She confirmed that if that was the case he would have had to declare his position to the Board based on provisions in the Companies Act. She said Bayley, based on the Act, had no obligations to disclose to her as Ag GM, that he was a director with a company seeking to negotiate with NIPDEC for a contract.

Asked if she knew Bayley was an Executive Director at Fidelity Finance, Thompson said she became aware that he was a director based on documents shown to her at the inquiry. Thompson also conceded that depending on what issues were being discussed at Board meetings, it would be appropriate at times to ask certain persons to leave. Asked if there was anything amiss about the bonding requirements for contractors being increased from 10 to 25 percent, Thompson said no, but she expected that the bonding would remain according to the industry standards at 10 percent. She also agreed that it was the Board which changed the bonding requirement and not Bayley personally.

Thompson said NIPDEC’s files did not show a copy of  the February 23, 1998 minute of the meeting when NIPDEC’s tender rules were reportedly changed. Maharaj drew to the Commission’s attention the Interpretation Act, which contains the same changes made to the NIPDEC rules saying he wasn’t sure why “heavy weather was being made”. Thompson also admitted yesterday there were difficulties with  NIPDEC’s 1998 audit results as it related to the statements prepared by Ernst and Young and NIPDEC’s accounting staff. Bayley who was present at yesterday’s sitting will return on Monday to question other witnesses who implicated him. The inquiry will resume on Friday at 9.30 am.

“THEY LIED and lied and lied” was what State prosecutor Joan Honore-Paul said of the defence of murder accused Kenrick London and his wife, Chandrouti, who are on trial for the murder of the couple’s daughter, Vidya. “How could you possibly believe anything they have said?” Honore-Paul asked the 12-member mixed jury panel as she summed up the State’s case after five weeks of evidence.

The prosecutor reminded the jury of the different accounts which the husband and wife told the court of how their daughter died. She recalled that Kenrick testified that the child died a natural death at home after an illness, but did not report the death to the authorities because he was afraid that they would be prohibited from having more children. “Kenrick is not a witness of truth, and has admitted to lying over and over again in his testimony,” Honore-Paul remarked, pointing to several inconsistencies in his testimony while in the witness box.

The prosecutor then turned to Chandrouti’s testimony in which the accused said that her husband killed Vidya by covering Vidya’s mouth with his hand until the child stopped breathing. “Chandrouti changes her story at will,” Honore-Paul charged, pointing out that Chandrouti testified in 2001 that she awoke one day and the child was dead, then months later said that she saw Kenrick hold the child by her neck and throw her in a latrine. “Now in 2003 she said that Kenrick put his hand over the child’s mouth and when he removed it, the child was not breathing. “Both Kenrick and Chandrouti did the same thing — they lied and lied and lied,” Honore-Paul said.

The prosecutor called on the jury to reject the accused’s testimony and accept the State’s case against the accused, based on confession statements which Kenrick and Chandrouti gave to the police when they were arrested in 1997. Trial judge Justice Ivor Archie is expected to give his summation of the case on Friday.

A NEW Tranquillity Government Primary School building is to be built soon, Minister of Education Senator Hazel Manning announced yesterday.

Mrs Manning made the surprise announcement during a visit to the school on Stanmore Avenue, Port-of-Spain. The Minister visited the St Ursula’s Primary School on St Vincent Street and Tranquillity Primary School to wish the students writing today’s Secondary Assessment Examination (SEA) all the best before heading to a meeting between a Cabinet-appointed team and the World Bank at the Financial Complex. About 20,600 will be writing the SEA today and according to the Minister, all the candidates will be placed in secondary schools come September.

A grand welcome was in store for the Minister at Tranquillity. Despite the hot weather, the staff, students and School Supevisors of the Ministry were present to welcome the Minister to their school. Mrs Manning told teachers and students that the idea of a new school for Tranquillity Primary School was on the drawing board, but hopes to turn the sod shortly to start construction of the new building. The Minister said Tranquillity was one of the schools to benefit from a $2 billion construction loan.. She admitted that the school building was quite old, and although the roof was repaired by the Ministry during the recent holiday period, the ceiling has started to collapse.

One parent who stayed around to witness the brief ceremony told Newsday that she was excited that Tranquillity will be re-built. She said she attended the school 20 years ago and was proud that her son was following in her footsteps. Mrs Manning said a research carried out by her Ministry discovered that about 50 percent of the 488 primary schools were over 50 years old. She said there is a programme in place to either replace or refurbish delapidated school buildings throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

The Minister pointed out that it would take at least nine months to construct a new building for Tranquillity. She promised that arrangements will have to be made for the staff and teachers for the period when the new building will be under construction. Mrs Manning said there were 18 schools to be constructed under the $2 billion construction loan.

Do you have a high fever (over 38 degrees Celsius), any respiratory symptoms like cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, and have you within the past 10 days arrived from Toronto, Canada or certain regions of the Far East?

The Caribbean has not yet found anyone infected by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which has caused 62 deaths in 15 countries, but the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) yesterday warned its member states to be alert for any such cases. CAREC, which is a division of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), which is itself the regional office of the World Health Organisation, issued a statement entitled “SARS Multi-Country Outbreak Alert #4”. Despite no reported SARS cases in the Caribbean, CAREC said: “Given the high level of international travel to and from the Caribbean, each country should be prepared for the possible importation of SARS cases. Early detection, isolation and infection control are essential elements for containment of infection”.

The statement said that up to April 1 the WHO had received reports of 1,804 cases of SARS including 62 deaths in 15 countries. The affected areas include Toronto (Canada); Singapore, Guangdong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Shanxi and Taiwan Province (China); and Hanoi (Vietnam). While the outbreak has been stabilised in Vietnam and Singapore, the Guangdong outbreak is the largest and has shown evidence of spread into the wider community and in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region there continues to be a significant increase in cases.

CAREC said the incubation period for SARS is two to 10 days, with persons being contagious only while ill. It is spread by heavy droplets not aerosolised droplets, and close contact is thought to be an important factor in transmission. “Close contact means having cared for, having lived with, or having direct contact with respiratory secretions and bodily fluids of a person with SARS. Close contact in an aircraft would be sitting next to a case, in the same row, sitting two rows in front or two behind”. WHO has discovered that SARS is caused by a corona virus, although its agent is yet to be identified. CAREC said: “There is no vaccine or other prophylaxis available. The global experience is that infection control methods work well in containing the spread of SARS in hospitals. Ribavirin with or without steroids has been a successful treatment in many cases”.

The prognosis? “Ninety percent of SARS cases seem to recover in six to seven days. Ten percent of cases progress to a more severe form of the syndrome. The indicators for poor prognosis are being over 40 years of age and having previous existing illness such as coronary heart disease, renal impairment or liver disease. Mortality among the 10 percent of cases with poor prognosis is high, though the overall case fatality rate remains at three percent”. CAREC urged regional governments to establish a response plan to the disease.

MORE THAN 20,000 students will be writing the Secondary Entrance Assessment examination today.

Among them are students of  St Ursula’s Anglican and Tranquillity Government primary schools respectively. Students from these two schools were given an added incentive by the Minister of Education, Hazel Manning. The Minister assured the students, their teachers and members of the Parent-Teacher Associations that all pupils writing the examination will be placed in secondary schools. She urged the students to be relaxed, confident and to always do their best. “I know that almost everything you have done during your primary school career, and more particularly over the past two years, has been in preparation for the examination. “It has been a long journey, but when you go home, I want you to get a good night’s rest, have a good breakfast, say your prayers and come with a confident mind to tackle the examination.

“We have totally assured the unions time and time again that there is no intention of retrenchment at WASA, I don’t know where that rumour comes from.”

This assurance was extended to approximately 400 Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) workers by Public Utilities and Environment Minister Rennie Dumas, yesterday. Dumas was speaking with reporters following his address at the finals of the Environmental Management Authority’s Fourth Annual Secondary Schools’ Public Speaking Competition, at the TT Bureau of Standards Building, Macoya. Stating that they had met with the union numerous times since assuming office,  Dumas said:  “We have assured the union, the Prime Minister has assured the union, the minister of Labour has assured the union that there is no intention for retrenchment.” However, “provisions have been made to cover the recurrent costs of WASA over the rest of the year,” he added.

Reiterating that there was no threats to the jobs of workers, Dumas reminded reporters that the union had recently been lobbying for an increase in the workforce as there were more operational activities occurring at WASA. Dumas said he remained baffled as to how they kept switching from the issue of increasing the workforce to one which involved downsizing the workforce. Addressing the small gathering at the competition, Dumas urged the youths present to share their knowledge gained as this was a decision-making point in their life. Participants in the final round  yesterday included ASJA Girls’ College; Bishop Anstey High School; Holy Faith Convent, Couva; Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College; Naparima College; Naparima Girls’ High School; St Francois Girls’ College; St Joseph’s Convent, St Joseph; and St Stephen’s College. Greetings were also extended by Janice Blackman, Director of Schools’ Supervision on behalf of the Education Ministry, and Dr Dave McIntosh, Managing Director /CEO of EMA.

Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ken Valley said yesterday severance payments for ex-BWIA employees is a matter for the airline’s management, not Government.

Valley was speaking after a meeting with union representatives at his Twin Towers office. “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask BWIA. Government has not retrenched public servants,” he said when asked if the workers will receive payment. BWIA said on Tuesday that it was unable to pay severance due to 617 employees retrenched in January. The ex-employees were supposed to receive their payments two weeks ago. BWIA yesterday promised to release $1.5million or about half months pay to retrenched workers.

Both union representatives and Valley said the meeting went well but there was no word on when the retrenched employees will be paid. “Government cannot assist at this time but that situation might change if we start to talk about restructuring the airline,” Valley said. Union officials are now trying to meet with chairman Lawrence Duprey. BWIA executives last week asked Government for financial assistance. Valley said he has received proposals but added that Government will only be willing to help the airline if it presents a viable plan and if the other major shareholders help as well.

According to the 2001 annual report, AIG and Roytrin Securities each had a ten percent stake in the airline. Government and unions together own a 49 percent stake. Asked whether Government, as a major shareholder would ask for the removal of BWIA’s executive management, Valley replied, “In the restructuring of BWIA there are no limits.” Valley added that Government would require equity if it gives financial assistance and he did not rule out the possibility that it would take control of the airline in the short run. Valley also said Government made the same stipulation when it helped LIAT. He added that BWIA’s request was different. In LIAT’s case Government guaranteed loans made by LIAT’s shareholders. It did not give money to the airline itself.

“The situation with Bwee seems to be extremely fluid.” Valley said, adding that Government thought the $30.75 million it gave to the airline would have been enough. The airline then asked for help with severance payments, then salaries and then sent a notice of demand for payment of $19 million for leased aircraft. “Quite frankly the Government cannot operate in that environment where the story changes practically every week,” Valley said. “The Government’s position right now is simply a strategic approach to get the airline right. There will always be a national airline but perhaps in a restructured form. Perhaps leaner and meaner.”