Does Rahael have Mt Hope report?

HAS the final report on the recent outbreak of enterobacter bacteria at the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital found its way into the hands of Health Minister John Rahael? Speaking with reporters during a break in the Eastern Regional Health Authority’s annual general meeting at the Hilton Trinidad last Tuesday, Minister Rahael said he was expecting Dr Petronella Manning Alleyne to  submit the report to him by Friday and the results would be made public this week.

However, numerous attempts yesterday to reach Rahael to find out whether he received the report were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, senior Health Ministry officials told Newsday they were unware whether Rahael has received the report. Following an internal investigation into the outbreak of enterobacter bacteria at the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital’s neonatal unit, North-West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) Vice-President (quality) Jenny Gobin was fired. Gobin was suspended in October after a committee hired by the NWRHA’s Board of Directors submitted a report into the circumstances which contributed to an increase in enterobacter bacteria in the unit.

In an interview with Newsday in that same month, then Health Minister Colm Imbert said: “I have received two reports and both of them point to a failure on the part of the management which is precisely what would be expected. It’s what we said what else could it be? I expect the Board (of the NWRHA) to take action within the next week. That is such a serious matter, I expect them to take action within a week.” Speaking in Parliament on December 12, Rahael gave the assurance that there would be no cover-up of any questionable activities at Mt Hope Women’s Hospital. Addressing a post-Cabinet news conference 24 hours earlier, Rahael said several measures were being taken to prevent a recurrence of enterobacter bacteria at Mt Hope Women’s Hospital and hinted that the hospital could be relocated to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. Former Junior Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan said the enterobacter bacteria outbreak at Mt Hope reveals a malignant incompetency within the NWRHA and called for the immediate dismissal of all the Authority’s current managers. Medical Professional Association Professionals of Trinidad and Tobago (MPATT) president Dr Colin Furlonge said MPATT was in no position to publicly comment on the current state of affairs at Mt Hope at this time.