Senate debates Medical Board Act

Listed for debate at tomorrow’s 1.30 pm sitting of the Senate, is the Medical Board Act, which seeks to provide for the establishment of a panel to issue special temporary licences, in cases of shortage of medical personnel in the public health sector. The legislation is being put in place to accommodate Cuban doctors who are expected to begin working here in Trinidad by the end of the month. The Bill is expected to be presented by Minister of Health, Colm Imbert. Local doctors have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Bill. Also listed on the Order Paper are several questions by the Opposition UNC. One of the questions by Opposition Chief Whip, Wade Mark, asks Public Utilities Minister Rennie Dumas, to state the steps/measures taken, if any, to recover the sums of money which were overpaid to the CEO, General Managers and Deputy General Managers of WASA between March 2002 and January 2003.

Mark also wants to know if the Minister intends to take legal action against the Board of Commissioners of WASA for illegally increasing the salaries, allowances and other perks for the managers between the same period. The question was deferred to tomorrow three weeks ago. UNC Senator Sadiq Baksh is asking National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee, to tell the Upper House the number of kidnappings reported in TT on an annual basis between the period 1990 to 2001, as well as the number of kidnappings which occurred on a monthly basis from January 2002 to March 2003.