Gov't sacks health ministry PS
-Harmon says more changes to come
Work starts on Liliendaal Bridge: The Liliendaal Bridge on the Railway Embankment on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) is closed to the public for construction work. A text message sent out to Digicel subscribers advised road users that the bridge was closed from 2pm yesterday and would be closed until works are completed. Many persons traveling home from work yesterday using the embankment had to divert to the Rupert Craig Highway. Hundreds of road users were unaware of the information disseminated and as result, there was a build-up in traffic. The stretch of road from Conversation Tree to Pattensen, ECD has been closed as a result of the construction being undertaken. Works are being carried out by H.Nauth and Sons Civil Engineering.
The government yesterday announced that the Public Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Trevor Thomas has been sacked following the recommendations of a Board of Inquiry (BoI) into allegations of mismanagement and malpractices in procurement at the ministry.
“His service as Permanent Secretary was terminated,” Minister of State Joseph Harmon told a press conference yesterday.
Last year, a BoI set up by President David Granger to look into allegations of mismanagement and malpractices in the procurement of pharmaceuticals at the ministry recommended Thomas’ removal.
The report, done by retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Winston Cosbert and seen by Stabroek News, said, “The Permanent Secretary Mr. Trevor Thomas should be removed from the Ministry of Public Health due to his inability to effectively carry out the mandate of the ministry.”
It was among 21 recommendations that were made to “to increase transparency and improve efficiency and effectiveness in the procurement of pharmaceuticals,” at the Ministry of Public Health.
Harmon said that it was on the BoI’s recommendations that government acted. “There was a recommendation that the Permanent Secretary be removed from that office and therefore with effect from 1st March, 2017, the Permanent Secretary has been removed from that office….,” he said.
Harmon also informed that while Thomas’ services as Permanent Secretary was terminated, he still remains employed in the public service.
The Minister of State said that Deputy Permanent Secretary Colette Adams will act in the position until a substantive Permanent Secretary is appointed.
The BoI had also recommended that Adams be censured and disciplined for “breach/neglect in the performance of her duties,” that the Finance Manager’s contract not be renewed and the immediate firing of a staff member who leaked insider information to a Trinidadian company.
During Thomas’ testimony, the BoI report alleges that he was “willfully deceptive” when he was being questioned. “He made inconsistent and deceptive statements during his testimony. The board finds that the inconsistencies were sufficiently material to affect the truthfulness and accuracy of his testimony,” the report states.
The report also noted that Thomas was approached by an accountant attached to the ministry’s Materials Management Unit with proof that another employee was giving insider information to a bidder but he did not act on it. Thomas’ explanation as to why he did not at least order an investigation into the matter or inform his subject minister was not enough for the BOI investigator.
The BOI also recommended that Permanent Secretaries be pulled from the evaluation of contracts for their ministries, saying, “The Permanent Secretaries of the various ministries should not be on the evaluating committee for his/her ministry.”
Harmon yesterday said that other aspects of the BoI’s recommendations will also be acted upon. “In another few days you will see changes in many of the government ministries as far as Permanent Secretaries are concerned,” he added.
Harmon said that Minister of Health Volda Lawrence, who was moved to the ministry for her accounting experience, among other skills, has also looked at the BoI’s recommendations and is making necessary adjustments. “There are several other consequential recommendations that were made and the Minister of Public Health has started taking actions on them. She has been around to some of the units that procurement is taking place and has seen for herself what is happening… therefore you can expect some radical changes taking place where those things are concerned,” Harmon said.
Thomas is the second Health Ministry Permanent Secretary to be dismissed by the government in relation to drug procurement. Thomas’ predecessor, Leslie Cadogan was dismissed on September 1st, 2015 for alleged gross negligence and misconduct in the performance of his duties.
A letter dated August 31, 2015 from Harmon to Cadogan said that he was being dismissed in accordance with Clause 7 (a) of his contract. The letter went on to blame him for various problems related to drug procurement.