Allan Johnson should not have been removed as CEO of the Georgetown Public Hospital

Dear Editor, It was with utter disgust that I read that the Board of the Georgetown Public Hospital has removed the Chief Executive Officer Mr Allan Johnson from his post. To add insult to injury, the Board has appointed the newly installed former army officer to act in that position.

Firstly, I would like to state categorically that Allan Johnson is an honourable and competent professional who not only has the experience and knowledge to be an excellent hospital administrator, but who is also a kind, honest, trustworthy and caring individual in the performance of his duties. I say this boldly because I worked with Mr Johnson at the hospital for a number of years. As one of his colleagues, I have seen him perform his duties with distinction and honour, in a way that I tried to emulate while I was at the hospital. He is a very principled man and will only do what is right for the hospital.

I recall seeing the former Board doing the same thing to the former Chief Executive Officer Michael Khan. Without hesitation, I can proclaim that both Michael Khan and Allan Johnson are two of the most qualified, competent and experienced hospital administrators in our country. They both had the hospital’s best interest at the top of their responsibilities.

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer is new to hospital administration. There are many complex parts in the puzzle of hospital administration, and for the Board to believe that a freshman will be able to navigate the murky waters of this institution is irresponsible. It’s like taking a freshman law student in college and giving him/her the responsibility of lecturing to the final year students in constitutional law.

I am appealing to the Board to reinstate Allan Johnson as the Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital. If they are not humble enough to do that, then I suggest that they ask Mr Allan Munroe, a former Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Dr Madan Rambarran or Dr Sheik Amir to be the captain of this ship until good sense prevails.

Yours faithfully, Charles Sugrim Former Director of Financial Services Georgetown Public Hospital