Doctors have agreed to return to work Friday, ending an impasse with the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) over certain rules that had been put in place at the San Fernando General Hospital.
The problem arose after Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Anton Cumberbatch issued a directive stating that a registrar/consultant must be in attendance during a high risk Cesarean section and that doctors without postgraduate degrees cannot be appointed registrars.
It came after the SWRHA fired its CEO, Paula Chester-Cumberbatch, and suspended five doctors and five nurses in the Ramsoomair case. The woman died on March 4 following a cesearian section at the hospital.
Anaesthetists at the hospital refused to work after the directive went out, causing all surgeries to be cancelled.
On Thursday Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar met with all stakeholders and settled the issue.
She told reporters after the meeting that the doctors will be back on the job from Friday and she also gave the assurance that there will be an independent invetigation in the cirucmstances surrounding the death of Ramsoomair who bled to death following the surgery.
The meeting was attended by Persad-Bissessar, top officials of the Medical Professionals Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MPATT), Dr Colin Furlonge and Dr Shehenaz Mohammed; and the chairmen of the four regional health authoriies - Dr Lackram Bodoe, Dr Ashvin Sharma, Dr Stephen Bhagan and Dr Edison Haqq.
Persad-Bissessar said MPATT agreed to cooperate with a review initiated by the Ministry of Health to "analyse the facts and circumstances" surrounding the death of Ramsoomair "to ascertain whether there were any systematic shortcomings or institutional failures."
She added, "The disciplinary investigation, which is a matter for the Board of the SWRHA, will, in accordance with the usual practice and procedure, follow the system review undertaken by the Ministry of Health."
Persad-Bissessar also stated that MPATT agreed to cooperate with the interministerial committee under the chairmanship of Dr Tim Gopeesingh and including Roodal Moonilal and Errol McLeod. Moonilal replaced Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar who is a relative of Ramsoomair.
With respect to the directive from the CMO, Persad-Bissessar said Attorney General Anand Ramlogan looked into the matter and offered guidance.
"He has advised that the doctors appointed to act can indeed continue to perform these functions. The status quo which obtained for many years shall therefore continue", she stated.
She added that the Public Service Commission also confirmed in writing that doctors who are doing post graduate studies and were appointed to act as registrars and consultants can lawfully continue to carry out these functions and duties.
"In the circumstances, the doctors have agreed to resume duties with immediate effect and continue to provide dedicated service to their patients," she said.
MPATT General Secretary Shehnaz Mohammed said her association is "comforted" by the intervention of the Prime Minister and with the assurance that the Ramsoomair investigation would be fair and transparent.
The problem arose after Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Anton Cumberbatch issued a directive stating that a registrar/consultant must be in attendance during a high risk Cesarean section and that doctors without postgraduate degrees cannot be appointed registrars.
It came after the SWRHA fired its CEO, Paula Chester-Cumberbatch, and suspended five doctors and five nurses in the Ramsoomair case. The woman died on March 4 following a cesearian section at the hospital.
Anaesthetists at the hospital refused to work after the directive went out, causing all surgeries to be cancelled.
On Thursday Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar met with all stakeholders and settled the issue.
She told reporters after the meeting that the doctors will be back on the job from Friday and she also gave the assurance that there will be an independent invetigation in the cirucmstances surrounding the death of Ramsoomair who bled to death following the surgery.
The meeting was attended by Persad-Bissessar, top officials of the Medical Professionals Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MPATT), Dr Colin Furlonge and Dr Shehenaz Mohammed; and the chairmen of the four regional health authoriies - Dr Lackram Bodoe, Dr Ashvin Sharma, Dr Stephen Bhagan and Dr Edison Haqq.
Persad-Bissessar said MPATT agreed to cooperate with a review initiated by the Ministry of Health to "analyse the facts and circumstances" surrounding the death of Ramsoomair "to ascertain whether there were any systematic shortcomings or institutional failures."
She added, "The disciplinary investigation, which is a matter for the Board of the SWRHA, will, in accordance with the usual practice and procedure, follow the system review undertaken by the Ministry of Health."
Persad-Bissessar also stated that MPATT agreed to cooperate with the interministerial committee under the chairmanship of Dr Tim Gopeesingh and including Roodal Moonilal and Errol McLeod. Moonilal replaced Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar who is a relative of Ramsoomair.
With respect to the directive from the CMO, Persad-Bissessar said Attorney General Anand Ramlogan looked into the matter and offered guidance.
"He has advised that the doctors appointed to act can indeed continue to perform these functions. The status quo which obtained for many years shall therefore continue", she stated.
She added that the Public Service Commission also confirmed in writing that doctors who are doing post graduate studies and were appointed to act as registrars and consultants can lawfully continue to carry out these functions and duties.
"In the circumstances, the doctors have agreed to resume duties with immediate effect and continue to provide dedicated service to their patients," she said.
MPATT General Secretary Shehnaz Mohammed said her association is "comforted" by the intervention of the Prime Minister and with the assurance that the Ramsoomair investigation would be fair and transparent.
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