Doctor in racist rant video terminated

The doctor who was taped while carrying on a racist rant against a patient and her colleagues while stationed at the Port of Spain General Hospital last month has been terminated.

The Health Ministry yesterday confirmed that Dr Dhelia Gabriel’s services were terminated after an investigation. In a statement issued yesterday, the ministry said after careful consideration of all the relevant facts and the terms of the internship agreement, it officially terminated the services of Dr Dhelia Gabriel from July 6.

Gabriel was a medical intern assigned to the hospital. She was suspended after a video of her tirade went viral on social media.

Another video was also circulated showing Gabriel dancing and gyrating in front of the Tunapuna Magistrates’ Court in 2016, drawing attention from passers-by.

When the story hit the media, several of Gabriel’s colleagues said this was not the first time Gabriel had acted in an erratic, aggressive manner.

When contacted on whether Gabriel would be able to reapply for a position at another health facility, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said in accordance with her right to confidentiality, “No details of the matter would be discussed in the public domain.”

Vice president of the TT Medical Board Dr Varma Deyalsingh said any doctor who was on a provisional registration, after their period of internship, could then apply to the board to be fully registered. While undergoing training, he said, they were supposed to be supervised by a consultant, who had to sign a form stating that the intern had performed adequately, and the board had to be satisfied that the intern had gone through that training.

He would not say whether she could reapply for any position.

“I can’t talk about her specifically, because that may come up to the Medical Board, so I can’t prejudge the issue,” Dr Deyalsingh said.