Linden Hospital Complex blames Health Ministry for neglect
September 16, 2015 | By KNews | Filed Under News, Source
Employees of the Linden Hospital Complex are peeved over the manner they are treated by management. They claim that the Ministry of Public Health is not doing anything to deal with their issues.
Board member of the Hospital Complex, Maurice Butters, said that complaints were made to Minister Dr George Norton, former Permanent Secretary, Leslie Cadogan, and Permanent Secretary, Trevor Thomas, but to no avail.
Butters who is also the Branch Chairman of the Public Service Union Linden Branch, said that he thought that with the new administration there would have been a more hands on approach to the situation.
“The Union appreciates the meetings held with President Granger and Ministers Harmon, Volda Lawrence, Amna Ally and Dominic Gaskin. After the last elections letters were sent and telephone calls were made to Mr Cadogan and Mr Thomas; to date no conscious move has been made to have the concerns addressed.”
Butters noted that the employees are blaming the Ministry of Public Health for encouraging management of the Linden Hospital Complex to behave in an oppressive, dictatorial and illegal manner.
“It is evident in the non-existence of a Job Description for porters who are told that they are employed to work and have to do what management says. Corpses and heavy equipment are taken down the fire escape which is very unsafe. More than once porters almost fall down and prefer to loose the dead.”
RE EMPLOYMENT OF RETIREES
Butters noted that the reemployment of retirees in the same position is another sore point. He claimed that most recently it happened in the maintenance department.
“That department is a close shop department. Promotion is given through retirement, resignation or death. Recently the maintenance Superintendent, Mr. Thurman, retired and was reemployed in the same position.
“The matter was represented by the Union to Management and the union was told that it is upholding the Board’s decision to retain Mr. Thurman; knowing fully well that at a meeting with Minister Norton, the Permanent Secretary and Deputy Permanent Secretary it was said that the Board, chaired by Mr. Mortimer Mingo, does not have the authority to make policy decisions since it is treated as a department of the Ministry of Public Health.”
He said such approval has to come from the Ministry Of Health. He noted that the matter was brought to the attention of Thomas before the reemployment of Mr. Thurman and nothing has been done.
Due to past events employees are blaming the Ministry of Public Health for matters which were brought to the attention of the Ministry and nothing was done about them.
“Employees have left the organization and their names are still on the payroll. The Ministry did nothing until a forensic audit was done and two employees were used as scapegoats for the skullduggery.”
Butters said that there are other reports of Managers being suppliers where they decide what must be bought and at what price. There is no bidding process.
He is calling on the authorities of the Ministry of Public Health to ensure that staff who proceed on maternity leave be given their entitlement and the gratuity since the contract says the assessment will be done every three months and gratuity paid every six months.
AMBULANCE STATION
According to Butters there is an agreement between the Linden Hospital Complex and the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade that whenever the staff of the Hospital Complex gets an increase, the Ambulance brigade will receive a similar increase.
“In same agreement the Administrative Manager at the LHC oversees and manages the contract between the two. Any change is the responsibility of the Administrative Manager. However it is noted that the Administrative Manager signs contracts for and on behalf of the St. John’s Brigade and that is not right.”