Chattergoon: SWRHA board won't renew contract as Ag. Medical Director of San F'do Hospital

Dr Anand Chattergoon has said that the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) won't renew his contract as acting Medical Director of San Fernando General Hospital, which expires at the end of March.

Chattergoon has been very vocal about the firing of SWRHA CEO Paula Chester-Cumberbatch over her failure to carry out an instruction to issue suspension letters to five doctors and five nurses.

He has also been critical about the decision to suspend medical staff at the hospital in connection with the investigation into the death of Crystal Ramsoomair.

He told the Trinidad Guardian Health Minister Terese Baptiste-Cornelis forced Chester-Cumberbatch to issue the suspension letters, when there was no urgency to do so because the doctors were already removed from the hospital.

He also said the minister "does not understand how sensitive health issues are" adding that he believes she is not suitable for the job.

Chattergoon has called on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to intervene and reinstate Chester-Cumberbatch, who is planning to sue the SWRHA.

Speaking about his own status, the doctor told the Guardian he got a call from SWRHA's Human Resources manager Friday morning "informing me that at a meeting of the board yesterday evening (Thursday), the decision was taken for my contract not to be extended.”

Chattergoon told the paper he has an option to return to his substantive post as an anaesthetist in the Intensive Care Department from April 1. However, he said that contract ends on April 20 so he is considering whether to take up the option or to proceed on leave.

He also has the option to apply for the post of Hospital Medical director when it is advertised. However he told the paper he won't apply for the post "because I will not be comfortable working with an administration which has functioned so unlawfully, so unreasonably and so wrongly."