Doctors protest while Dr Chatoorgoon at private practice

In a bid to have the Ministry of Health revoke the appointment of Dr Anand Chatoorgoon as the Ag Medical Chief of Staff at the San Fernando General Hospital, junior doctors staged a “stand-up” protest outside the hospital’s administration offices yesterday.

However, the protesting doctors complained that Dr Chatoorgoon was absent from the hospital since he was out doing private practice. But Dr Chatoorgoon said he was entitled to practice privately.

Led by MPATT assistant secretary, Dr Lakhan Roop, about 60 doctors, some outfitted in white shirt-jacs with stethoscopes dangling around their necks, stood silently in front of the main entrance leading to the offices, while another doctor distributed handbills labelled “Absentee Top Doc” to curious members of the public watching the protest.

The handbills detailed doctors’ grievances with Dr Chatoorgoon, who had not yet reported for duty at the time the protest began.

According to Dr Roop, the protest would continue until Dr Chatoorgoon was relieved of duties.

“This is to sensitise the Ministry of Health that the doctors were in full support of Dr Trinidade, and would like to have him reinstated as the Medical Chief of Staff,” Roop said. He added: “We intend to keep this up almost every day until the message is sent to the Ministry that they need to reinstate Dr Trinidade.”

Roop also pointed out that the Health Ministry’s directive ordering Dr Trinidade to proceed on compulsory leave was “not recognised under the Public Service Commission.”

If allowed to go unchallenged, it could be used against other doctors in similar situations, he said.

“This should be something that is planned or regulated, not instituted in an ad-hoc manner,” Roop said.

In an immediate response, Dr Chatoorgoon said he was not seeking any confrontation with the junior doctors.

He added that the appointment was made by the Ministry of Health and he would continue to function in the office of Medical Chief of Staff until otherwise directed by the Ministry.