Surgeries resume at Sando hospital

Elective surgeries have resumed at the San Fernando General Hospital, one day after Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar’s intervention.  Her intervention ended four days of protest action by doctors.  The hospital’s medical director, Dr Anand Chatoorgoon, confirmed surgeries at the institution resumed. On Thursday, Persad-Bissessar met with chairmen of the regional health authorities and the Medical Professionals Association (MPATT) at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s,  after which it was announced that “consensus” was arrived at by all parties. The doctors, she said, had agreed to return to duty. Persad-Bissessar also confirmed, through a letter from the director of Personnel Services, Service Commissions Department, t doctors pursuing the post-graduate qualifications could continue in their acting positions. 

That was one of the main areas of contention for the doctors. Chatoorgoon said he was pleased the impasse at the hospital ended with Persad-Bissessar’s intervention. He said: “We are very grateful to the Prime Minister for clarifying the issue with the Chief Personnel Officer and the permanent secretary. “We also held the position that acting registrars without post graduate qualifications can perform duties as registrars. “The CPO did not share that view and the Prime Minister has said, ‘Yes, you can’, which is the position that we held.