Health Minister says he is not expected to micromanage hospitals
Pablo Marin
At a press conference hosted by the Ministry of Health last Friday, media personnel were informed that each media house could ask only two questions. Calling a press conference to show how transparent and accessible the ministry is, and then telling the press how many questions they can ask is disrespectful at best. That session didn’t exactly go well, but the media got another opportunity today. This morning Minister of Health Pablo Marin and his C.E.O. Peter Allen attended the launch of the Health Sector Strategic Plan. When asked about the hundreds of thousands of dollars embezzled from the Southern Regional Hospital, Minister Marin said that we can’t actually expect the ministry to check on all things at all hospitals. That would be micro-managing.
Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
“We have seen from day one that the Ministry of Health is being improved tremendously…from pharmaceuticals, the amount of doctors, the amount of patients coming into our hospitals, so this shows that our Ministry is doing good…we have won international awards. Now we know that we have some people in the Ministry that are not working to par to us…and this is when we have those little troubles that you look around. And whenever we try to do something or go into the different sections then you shout at us that we are micro-managing. Just like what happened in the south. You have managers there, you have accountants there…yet maybe we didn’t go, and two years passed and then we went and look at what was happening? But what do you want us to do…go around to all the hospitals and look at them…it is micromanaging then you start to call at us.”
Reporter
“I find it amazing that you use the same excuse as Dr. Allen that he doesn’t want to micromanage. But the audit is saying that there were no controls – it’s not a matter of micromanaging, but the Ministry of Health did not put controls in place. You have an account with hundreds of thousands of dollars in there and this young lady was using it as her personal account – tek out money to go party on weekends, go shop at Mirab – and you’re saying it’s because the Ministry doesn’t want to be accused of micromanaging?”
Pablo Marin
“But then anything that happens in the ministry…everything will buck at the CEO and myself. Now when we are implementing these kinds of regulations, then you will see the changes. And then right now everything is at the Attorney-General, looking at all of these things. We will work on it.”
Reporter
“Are you concerned? You’re the Minister of Health. Are you concerned about what’s happening?”
Pablo Marin
“Sure I am concerned. When you look at over three hundred thousand dollars missing in our ministry, where you know we need ambulances, we need more medication, we need to hire more doctors. Definitely it is our concern so we have to look at it.”
In separate but related news, News Five has been reliably informed that manager of the Central Health Region, Melinda Guerra, will shortly be taking up a new post as Western Regional Manager. Guerra is awaiting her hearing before the Public Services Commission after being named in an audit which discovered irregularities under her watch.
Does he know the meaning of the word micro-manage? In the hustler army, the foot soldiers take their cue from the hustling general. So, no surprises here. A combination of an ignoramus and a hustler is the perfect recipe for what we have seen. But hey, this is the national trend. We need to shed the Toucan as the national bird and put these hustling blondes on the front pages where they belong. The biggest shame is the deafening silence of civil society: churches, chamber, unions, bar association (of hustlers and wimps) et al. We need to stop producing everything else and go strictly with bananas because we are becoming the mother of all banana republics!
Do, please tell me where you have won international awards and have people flocking to the hospital? Which world are you and the defunct Peter Allen living in? Now, like your esteemed Pathologist who only knows two causes of death, ” Asphyxation” and “Blunt Force Trauma”, besides the infamous “Crocodile Syndrome”, your doctors have taken on a new trend. They have been doling out anti-depression and anxiety medication like candy. I got a message from someone today who had low platelets and low WBC’s along with tremors and was given Lorazepam and had the nerve to refer the person to an internist. Big joke! I’ve noticed this trend over the past few months. How did you all ever get these posts? Good fu Creole. That’s what free alcohol and food for a few days leading up to and the day of elections get them, along with promise of land Which usually turn out to be swamp land).
Pablo the only thing you manage is the theft of your ministry.
Both minister Marin and Peter Allen need to be reminded that before anyone can manage or macro-manage, he/she needs to know how to micro-manage. So this episode demonstrates how stupid politicians are. Both these scalawags should attend a school of operational management before they spew such micro-manage stupidity.
Another big thief who should be locked up for incompetence
The Minister and the CEO are full of excuses. They do not seem to know the meaning of micromanaging. Maybe they need it spelled out for them. E.g.:
In weekly meetings ask about due audits and results of such in the different sectors of the Ministry.
E.g. of Micromanagement:
Ask how much money is at X Dept. and then proceed to say on what specific things to spend it on. Hand pick people to go for training (when this should be done by the technical people).
Mr. Minister, your excuse would be valid if we were asking you to personally go and inspect the books yourself.
This is the most incompetent thing I have ever heard anyone say. Then to take this person and move her to another lucrative position is compounding the problem. This lady should be off work until her court case is over. Marin don’t know shit about what he is talking about. This is what we get when we put people in place that don’t know what is ass from his elbow about how government operate!
No controls? Not so! There is Financial Manual that was approved by the FinSec ages ago that outlines strict controls for the accounts of those NHI clinics and hospital accounts. Peter -slave driver- Allen was constantly informed and chose to look the other way. Because he’s part of it.
From all the ministers I like Pablo Marin to me he is the most humble and less thieves than the rest. He is a peoples man. I think the problem is that he should of never got the title of minister of health. That was too much for him. You need a doctor for that. Like my grandmother used to tell me “learn to cook,clean,wash,iron because tomorrow when you have someone to do it for you. you will know that they did a good job”.
Very poor excuse for managerial inaction.
mein this so called minister doesn’t even look like one, doesn’t even talk like one but looks like my next door neighbor, how the hell this people get in place and can’t do the job good. I blame the people who elected this dumb people I guess they are not normal.