GPSU rejects unseen report on allegations against GPHC matron

The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has rejected the findings of the committee appointed to investigate allegations levelled against Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Matron Collene Hicks even though it has not read the report.

“We have not seen the report but we would not dignify it by examining it,” GPSU President Patrick Yarde told reporters on Thursday.

According to Yarde, there was a body of protest and once such concerns were raised they needed to be investigated which was why the union agreed to the inquiry, nominated a member and gave advice on the format the panel should take. However, he said, the union felt that the panel appointed by former chairman of the GPHC board Max Hanoman was “biased.” Yarde noted that the union would have preferred a three-man panel reminiscent of the Armstrong tribunal.

“It should’ve been a three-man panel; management should have one representative, the union one representative and agreement on third representative and we said we would not recognize it [the committee] until they correct it but the chairman was adamant,” Yarde explained.

He also objected to the manner in which the inquiry was conducted and the refusal of the committee to allow Hicks to be represented by the union when she was questioned.

“These things should be done in a professional manner. This is not just about the matron it is about our national health care system whose institutions must work and people in these institutions must be clear about their roles. In an inquiry the person accused should be able to sit and hear all accusations and in addition when we sent a representative with the matron to her interview they refused to allow him in the room,” Yarde said.

He maintained that the union has written to both the former and current ministers of health about the insensitive and reckless way the inquiry was conducted.

The committee which investigated the allegations against Hicks was comprised Chairperson Laurelle Daw, Director of Nursing Services at the St Joseph Mercy Hospital; former GPSU General Secretary turned Attorney, Chandrawattie Persaud who is also a trained nurse; Dr Anwar Hussain a longstanding GPHC member of staff; Reginald Brotherson Permanent Secretary of the Department of Public Service within the Ministry of the Presidency and former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran.

Former Minister of Public Health Dr George Norton had told Stabroek News that the 52 GPHC employees, interviewed by the committee, consistently referenced a stubborn refusal on Hicks’ part to cooperate with reasonable requests.

Norton had explained that while the full content of the report would not be revealed until Cabinet had examined it, he could say that the committee found it was not in the best interest of the GPHC for Hicks to continue as Director of Nursing Services.

He stated that while a “slew of reasons” were listed by the committee, the testimony of those interviewed was that Hicks was not a team player.