On Monday, Therese Baptiste-Cornelis told reporters about the suspensions and she repeated it in the Senate Tuesday.
"Mr President, yesterday (Monday) at our monthly Ministry of Health RHA press conference, I announced that the South Regional Health Authority Board has done something that many other boards, other ministers, have been scared of doing.
"They have advised me, they have made the difficult but necessary decision to suspend the team of medical personnel involved in the untimely demise of one of our nationals (Chrystal Ramsoomair) at the San Fernando General Hospital," Baptiste-Cornelis said.
"This was not done very easily, but based on the preliminary report and the autopsy they received, it was felt to be deemed necessary. As I said, this was not meant to put a stain on the reputation of those involved in the process, but it allows the level of accountability and transparency that our nation has demanded and voted this Government into office for.
"This Government must restore patient confidence in our delivery of health services with specific reference to maternal health services."
However in a media release Tuesday, the health ministry confirmed that although the SWRHA agreed on the suspension as announced by the minister, it did not happen.
"For reasons unknown to the chairman of the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA), the SWRHA chief executive officer (CEO) did not implement a directive for the suspension of these staff," the release said.
"However, the SWRHA board stands by their decision to suspend the staff and is investigating the reasons for the delay in the suspension letters being handed out."
MPATT stated that doctors involved in the care of Ramsoomair were called to a meeting with the SWRHA at 8 a.m. Monday and "informed that the SWRHA were proceeding with an independent enquiry to be completed within two weeks."
It added, "The doctors were offered leave, compensatory or vacation, if they felt they were under stress." It said although suspension was discussed, the SWRHA did not feel it was justified.
MPATT claimed that attempts were made to "coerce" the doctors into taking leave, but they agreed to continue working because of a staff shortage and in a "show of continued dedication and commitment".
Paula Chester-Cumberbatch, CEO of the SWRHA is quoted in the Newsday newspaper as saying that the suspension letters for the doctors and nurses were delayed because certain amendments had to be made “to the wording.”
Chester-Cumberbatch said the letters have been sent to the SWRHA’s human resources department for delivery by hand to the doctors and nurses.
Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Anand Chatoorgoon, confirmed to Newsday that following the minister's announcement of the suspensions a new head of the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology was appointed. He is consultant gynaecologist Dr Sunil Persad.
The Association, which is representing the five doctors involved in the matter, said it supports an independent enquiry into the case.
MPATT is also raising questions of the findings of the autopsy, which was conducted by pathologist Hubert Daisley. It is claiming that the autopsy report is not supported by clinical findings of the doctors who treated her.
However Daisley has described the criticism as "ridiculous". The Trinidad Express quoted him as saying that the examination was done "in the eyesight of nearby 15 or 20 people who were all there looking on, including senior doctors."
Daisley performed the autopsy two Saturdays ago at the mortuary of the San Fernando General Hospital. His report said Ramsoomair died from "hypovolaemic shock, poor hysterectomy and Cesarean section".
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