Dr Chattorgoon to take Trinidade’s job

One day after Medical Chief of Staff Dr Austin Trinidade gave in to orders to go on 226 days compensatory leave, Dr Anand Chattorgoon has been asked to act in the post. Dr Chattorgoon told Sunday Newsday that he was contacted by Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Hamid O’Brien yesterday, to hold the post over the weekend. The Acting Medical Chief of Staff said that he was told he would be instructed further pending a meeting between O’Brien and Trinidade tomorrow.

Chattorgoon commented: “I’ll do the best I can. This hasn’t come as a total surprise. I don’t know for how long this will be, but I will take it one step at a time and see how it goes.” Only last month, Chattorgoon had acted for three weeks when Trinidade was on vacation. Trinidade returned last week, only to be asked on Wednesday to go on long leave. Trinidade had initially refused to heed the order by the Ministry, but on Friday gave in to the instructions. During the three weeks when Chattorgoon was Acting Medical Chief of Staff, he chided doctors on their sick-out action which plunged the health sector into crisis. Chattorgoon took a firm stand against the doctors, particularly on the issue of their sick-out leave and the irregularity of their sick leave without justification.

He called on the Ministry to intervene in the crisis by taking legal action against the doctors to prevent them from taking sick-leave repeatedly. Trinidade, on the other hand, claimed that he was not supporting the doctors nor condemning the action. However, there was the perception that he was sympathetic to the doctors’ cause. It is expected that Chattorgoon’s appointment would be a permanent one as Medical Chief of Staff. In 1994, Trinidade was appointed to act in the post, and was confirmed as Medical Chief of Staff in 2000. On Monday, Trinidade and another doctor, Charlie Bridgelal, were the subject of a lawsuit brought against them by Chattorgoon. Justice Joseph Tam presiding in the San Fernando First Civil Court ordered Trinidade and Bridgelal to pay legal costs in an action which Chattorgoon sued against Trinidade’s decision not to appoint him (Chattorgoon) as head of the department of Anaesthetics. Trinidade had instead appointed Bridgelal to the post.