Medical chief defies Ministry

TOTALLY ignoring instructions from the Ministry of Health to proceed on leave, a defiant Dr Austin Trinidade, Medical Chief of Staff yesterday continued duties at the San Fernando General Hospital.

He vowed to legally challenge the Ministry of Health’s decision to send him on 226 days leave. Trinidade made this known to Permanent Secretary Hamid 0’Brien yesterday and also informed O’Brien that he did not wish to proceed on leave as Medical Director of the South hospital. In fact, Trinidade stated in his letter to 0’Brien that he was willing to give up all 226 compensatory “days off”. On Wednesday, the ministry instructed Trinidade to proceed on leave with immediate effect. The ministry notified the hospital’s administrator Indra Maharaj and Chief Executive Officer of the South West Regional Health Authority, Vade Mohammed, of its decision.

Yesterday morning, 24 hours after receiving the ministry’s instructions, Trinidade was at his desk at the San Fernando General Hospital carrying on as usual. “Legally, no one can force me to go on leave...unless they give me a reason,” he stated adamantly. Trinidade said he would continue to roster doctors for duties. He said he was not seeking a confrontation, but had the full backing of most of the hospital’s doctors and medical support staff. “I’m coming out to work as normal, unless I am told otherwise,” Trinidade said. Trinidade added that in his letter, he expressed willingness to meet with ministry officials to discuss the move to send him on leave. Trinidade said that the public’s perception of him was that the ministry’s request was tantamount to disciplinary action against him. “I have consulted with my lawyers and they are advising me that my name has been tarnished. Compensatory leave cannot be forced on anyone....it has to be mutually agreed on, except in certain situations,” Trinidad said.

The Medical Practitioners Association of T&T (MPATT) which on Thursday had given the Ministry of Health until 10.30 am yesterday to withdraw its letter to Dr Trinidade yesterday issued a release criticising the Ministry but going no further with its threat of further action. “The doctors firmly believe,” the release stated, “that the lack of response is manifest of this administration’s treatment of doctors and the health sector and of the administration’s continued failure to provide care to the public of Trinidad and Tobago.” It expressed concern that while Dr Trinidade had been ordered to take leave, no one had been appointed to act in the post of chief medical officer at the south hospital. It also stated that the letter to Dr Trinidade was against established industrial relations practice. The San Fernando Hospital Doctors Association said that it would hold a candle light vigil in support of Dr Trinidade.