The board took the action following a meeting to discuss the delay in issuing suspension letters to nine medical personnel who were involved in the treatment of Crystal Ramsoomair at the San Fernando General Hospital. The patients bled to death following a cesarean section to deliver her baby.
Chester-Cumberbatch has said her dismissal is not justified since the delay was because she had to correct "factual errors" in the suspension letters. She insisted that she followed proper procedure in dealing with the matter.
Read the story: South West Regional Health Authority fires its CEO
Chester-Cumberbatch told local media she plans to sue the board, which has appointed General Manager (Operations) Anil Gosine to act as CEO for three months until a suitable replacement is found for the fired CEO.
Baptiste-Cornelis said the law allows each Regional Health Authority to hire, suspend, and terminate its employees.
"We appointed a board and we gave that board the proper authority to act in the best interest of the nationals under their care, and if they felt that this was in their best interest, I stand by their decision," the minister told reporters.
She insisted the move was in the best interest of all parties involved.
"It protects both the medical team as well as patients. Because the medical team has been removed from the situation and they can do a full investigation and if anything adverse was to happen in the next two weeks, no one will cast aspersions on the medical team if they were there," she explained.
However doctors who work for the SWRHA are not pleased with the situation. More than 150 of them met at the San Fernando General Hospital Friday to discuss the suspension of their colleagues and the dismissal of the CEO.
The Medical Professionals Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MPATT) said doctors are considering legal action and will be meeting with their lawyers over the weekend.
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