And she announced that doctors, nurses and administrative staff who work at the San Fernando General Hospital will march in a public protest on Monday to show their disapproval of the decision to suspend doctors and nurses who were involved in the treatment of Chrystal Ramsoomair who died at the hospital following a cesarian section. The baby survived but Ramsoomair died from excessive bleeding.
Mohammed told reporters only doctors on leave will be part of the protest.
The action coincides with industrial action being taken by the Public Services Association and the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) in what is called Black Monday. Police are also planning a sick out to press demands for better pay.
Mohammed said doctors decided at a meeting on Friday to protest publicly and to demand that Baptiste-Corneils be removed.
"This present administration will be well advised to remove Miss Therese Baptiste-Cornelis as Minister of Health and to replace the administration within the ministry with those who really care to serve and those whose actions in the past have shown that they care," Mohammed said.
She said the firing of the CEO of the South West Regional Health Authority (SWHRA), Paula Chester-Cumberbatch, was "wrong, unjust and brutal". The SWRHA fired her on Thursday for the delay in handing suspension letters to the five doctors and four nurses involved in the Ramsoomair case.
"The detailed procedure for disciplinary action has been ignored. This has been categorically substantiated by the ex-CEO and soon to be ex-Medical Director. There has been an abuse of power, an abuse of procedure," Mohammed claimed.
The SWHRA board has also decided not to renew the contract of acting medical director of then hospital Dr Anand Chattergoon, which expires on March 31.
She added, "You cannot run a first world health service on a shoestring budget and then blame your foot soldiers, your doctors, your nurses, your attendants, your wardsmaids and use them as scapegoats for your failings."
Mohammed claimed that the minister was directly responsible for the suspension of the medical personnel to allow a three-member team to investigate Ramsoomair's death.
"We know and we will say categorically and unequivocally that the Minister of Health instructed the (board to suspend and this is why the CEO was fired. We know also that the chairman of the board had refused to sign the letters of suspension," she said.
Baptiste-Cornelis has denied that she was involved in the decision.
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