Health Minister to evict doctors from Mt Hope hospital who charge fees

File: Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan: "The EWMSC is a free medical institution and patients must not be made to pay for services"

Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan told the Guardian newspaper Sunday he is outraged at reports that doctors at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) at Mt Hope are charging fees for seeing patients at the hospital.

The Guardian said it has conducted an investigation that revealed that 12 doctors are running private clinics at the complex. The paper said some of the doctors are no longer employed by the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) but are still running clinics there are paying fees of 15 per cent to the health authority.

Those who are on the payroll are earning between $22,000 and $28,000 a month, the paper stated.

The Guardian said it contacted Khan in Washington, DC, where he is attending a conference. It said Khan said stated that as soon as he gets home he would "put out" the doctors who are no longer employed at the complex.

The minister told the paper he has asked for a report on the matter. "What I understand is that the doctors are asking the patients to pay a fee to see them. This should not be, and I am going to act on my return," he stated. 

"I am going to ask anyone who is not associated with the EWMSC on a full-time basis to vacate the office so more clinics can be set up." He explained that some doctors who are no longer on the payroll were allowed to operate clinics on conditions that they did not charge fees.

"It is wrong, and I am going to ask citizens who are approached by doctors to pay for services to report it to my ministry...The EWMSC is a free medical institution and patients must not be made to pay for services,” Khan said.

Read the Guardian report