TRHA administrative audit completed

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

“The audit has been completed”.

This was the response by Secretary of Health Dr Agatha Carrington on Wednesday as she responded to questions from the media regarding the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) audit.

Speaking at the post Executive Council media briefing, in Scarborough, Carrington said: “What I can say is that my information is that the audit has been completed. From the office of the CEO, he indicated that it was completed as at yesterday (Tuesday), I do not have the report and so I couldn’t quote from it at all. But I feel certain that that (info) can be provided as soon as the report becomes available to me.”

On March 20, the division announced the TRHA would be utilising an independent payroll audit team to assist. The division said given the high level of independence required for the review process, some members of staff in the finance, human resource and information technology departments have been sent on administrative leave with full pay and benefits.

On Wednesday, however, Dr Carrington said she could not say if or when the suspended staff would return to work.

“I don’t have the exact figures in terms of how many persons have been placed on the audit, I don’t know."

How soon will the contents of the audit be made available to the public?

“I don’t have it as yet. When I receive it, I expect that the report will be provided through the CEO to the board and that would be forwarded to me. Usually information like that is not for any protracted period, my expectation is that if for instance it is provided today, that is information that can be provided very promptly...because I don’t anticipate that it would be anything private.”