‘Burden on public health’

Given that Petrotrin’s Augustus Long Hospital is to be leased or sold in January, Fyzabad MP Dr Lackram Bodoe has accused Government of putting an additional burden on the public healthcare system.

“The 20,000-plus people who would have been receiving care at the Augustus Long Hospital, and other Petrotrin facilities, would now be accessing the already overburdened public health system. Is this really fair for employees, their dependants and retirees?” Bodoe said yesterday.

The 50-bed hospital underwent renovation in 2013 when the State-owned company launched a new operating theatre and a high dependency unit. The hospital represents a very valuable asset of Petrotrin and Government needs to state clearly its vision for the facility, he said.

“Is it still going to be available to former Petrotrin employees and retirees? How is the process of the RFP (request for proposals) going to be conducted? What is its scope for the RFP? What are they going to use the Augustus Long Hospital to do? Will it be a non-paying or paying facility?” Bodoe, former chairman of the South West Regional Health Authority, said one of the terms and conditions of Petrotrin employees, up to the termination of their employment, is they were guaranteed treatment at the facility for life. “Having expected they would get their medical plans, employees including those who are close to retiring did not take out any private insurance. At their ages now, if they attempt to take out a private insurance, the premium would be too high. Many would not be able to qualify,” Bodoe said.

On Friday, in response to questions in Parliament about the status of the hospital at Pointe-a-Pierre, Energy Minister Franklin Khan said an RFP will be issued in January for lease or sale of the property. The new plan is to be re-evaluated, Khan said.

“The minister said Sagicor will provide the insurance coverage. Now the new plan is workers will be covered only for two years. My concern is, how was this selected? Was there a request for proposals? If so, was it a fair and transparent process?” Bodoe said.

Also arising this week was concerns about Petrotrin’s pension plan.

On Tuesday, Republic Bank’s Trust Services Division threatened to wind up the pension plan should the company fail to address several issues. This included a prediction that the fund would be “exhausted” in the next 23 years. The bank said unfunded liabilities would be approximately $4 billion. The letter was addressed to Petrotrin chairman Wilfred Espinet.

In response to the letter, Petrotrin’s corporate communications department said it presented an “inaccurate picture” of the current state of affairs with the Petrotrin Pension Plan–all of the concerns raised in the letter are being or have been addressed.

It said the sponsor of the plan met with the Pension Plan Management Committee and with the trustees (Republic Bank) to determine the best way forward. “It was agreed that the plan would not be wound up, as to do so would be impractical – it will, therefore, remain a closed plan that will be carefully managed going forward. The sponsor is committed to ensuring that the plan’s obligations are met.”

On Friday, Petrotrin ceases operations of its refinery at Pointe-a-Pierre.