PSC rescinds West Dem Hospital administrator’s promotion

…legal challenge filed in High Court

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has rescinded the promotion of a West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) administrator after reports of fraudulent transactions at the institution.
According to a source close to the investigation, doctors and staff of the WDRH made a decision to voice their complaints over the mismanagement of the facility to the Public Health Ministry. Guyana Times was told that the decision to bypass the administrator was as a result of constant drug shortages and malfunctioning of equipment at the health facility.
After receiving many of these complaints in addition to the delay of some $7 million worth of drugs reportedly procured for the Hospital, the Ministry organised a team to launch an investigation into the administrator.
The team without any notice visited the facility and reportedly discovered inconsistencies in records shown to them.
A record book was photographed by the investigating team and the administrator’s records were compared with that of each department. The results reportedly varied significantly from each department’s record.
The record book documents all activities of the hospital, including monies received and purchases.
The source revealed that the following day, the team revisited the Hospital and the administrator was confronted. but could not say how the records were altered.
As such, the PSC was informed of the findings which prompted the demotion of the administrator. However, the administrator has since moved to the High Court to have the decision of the PSC squashed as “cause for its decision was not outlined in the letter received”.
The legal action also seeks to restrain the PSC from appointing a new administrator.
According to legal documents seen by this newspaper, it was stated that without any prior notification and for reasons unknown to the applicant, the PSC sent a letter to the administrator, which purports to rescind his appointment as hospital administrator, reverting the applicant to the position of accounts clerk II with immediate effect.
“The applicant was not afforded a hearing by the respondents, neither was any reason given for the said decision; that the constitutional tenure of the Public Service Commission had ended at the time when it made the decision…in the circumstances, the said decision of the PSC is contrary to the rules of natural justice, arbitrary, whimsical, capricious, in excess of and without jurisdiction, unconstitutional, unlawful, null, void and of no effect,” the legal challenge document stated.
The administrator has been acting in the position at the Hospital since March 18, 2013.
Just last May, doctors attached to the facility refused to commence duties, taking strike action as a result of failure on the part of the Public Health Ministry to address their numerous concerns, including security, drugs shortage and working conditions.