Pundit wonders why doctor’s termination terms confidential

Pundit Satyanand Maharaj.
Pundit Satyanand Maharaj.

A prominent religious leader has questioned the termination conditions of a medical intern who was fired by the Ministry of Health over social media posts.

In a website post on July 9, the ministry announced Dr Dhelia Gabriel’s termination of employment from July 6.

“The Ministry of Health confirms that, after careful consideration of all the relevant facts and the terms of the Internship Agreement, it officially terminated the services of Dr Dhelia Gabriel with effect from Friday 6 July, 2018. Gabriel was a medical intern who was assigned to the Port of Spain General Hospital.

“In accordance with the individual’s right to confidentiality, no details of this matter will be discussed in the public domain.”

However, in a Facebook post, Pundit Satyanand Maharaj has questioned the confidentiality clause including whether she had been given a financial settlement before her termination.

“The racist rant of the doctor has resulted in her been fired but her terms are confidential? Why does this remain confidential? How much money was paid to this employee during the time she was not doing her job? Was she given a settlement? Taxpayers deserve an explanation.”

Maharaj also wondered whether the investigation had revealed other examples of misconduct and why the ministry had waited before taking action against the intern.

He said Gabriel’s firing was a “direct result of the public outcry against a social media posting that many considered deeply racist and offensive.

“It is now unacceptable that having investigated the issue that the Ministry of Health refuses to reveal the terms of the termination. The Rowley Administration is not only being defined by incompetence but also a lack of transparency.”

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