…And Prime Minister Barrow helps resolve the issue

A strike by doctors at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital has been averted, at least for now. This follows a go slow initiated this morning when word spread that the Chief of Staff, Khalid Ghazy had been fired. When things appeared to be getting worse, Prime Minister Dean Barrow was called in to intervene in what could have been a perilous situation for the nation’s health. In recent days, the system has gone through some shocks with allegations of negligence and fleecing. Prime Minister Barrow was called in at around two in the afternoon to try to resolve one sticky point.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“By the time I got here there was only one ultimatum that I had to deal with. A great deal of progress had already been made. In fact, when I got my report, it was clear from then that the single outstanding issue was the question of their demand that Dr. Fabro be immediately suspended as Chairman of the Board. So while in the course of talking to them, all sorts of other things surfaced. That really was my grief to try to deal with that particular difficulty.”

Jules Vasquez, Channel Seven
“Are you satisfied that the actions of Dr. Fabro warranted his removal or at least the investigation of his removal?”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Well, whenever there are complaints, concerns expressed at a public institution of this nature, I think authorities are obliged to look into those concerns. I’m not going to go beyond that. The Minister of Health cannot, in a way that is inconsistent with the law and the requirements of natural justice, simply suspend the chairman of the board. I did establish that. I said to them and I’m saying again to you that the concerns they have are about the leadership of Dr. Fabro must be addressed in a way that will give both sides a chance to state their respective positions. The government has increased the budgetary allocation to Karl Heusner by something like nineteen or twenty percent this last year. So every effort is being made on the part of government to deal with the resource constraint issues. When it comes to the question of the kind of terms of engagement between the doctors and the administration, I am saying that a lot of work has to be done and I am happy that both sides have agreed to begin that process of trying to repair the relations between the two sides.”

The problems Barrow speaks of have been developing over many years according to Dr. Sosa, and basic necessities such as syringes, cotton medications have always been lacking. Later in the news cast we’ll have a full report on the K.H.M.H. situation.