Nursing council ousts president

Former health minister Dr Fuad Khan yesterday claimed the Nursing Council of TT is acting illegally by ousting its president David Murphy and delaying elections.

In yesterday’s Newsday the Nursing Council posted two advertisements. The first stated that at its 807th ordinary meeting Chris Craigwell was elected as interim president of the council until the end of the election process.

It continued, “In this regard Mr David Murphy no longer holds office as president of the council and is not authorised to conduct business on behalf of the council.”

The second ad stated that the election for the council’s membership for the period 2019-2022 was suspended “due to irregularities with the election process” and the process would be re-initiated next week.

Khan told Sunday Newsday the move was illegal because the members were making decisions after their term of office expired. “What I understand is that some people in the council got together and voted out Murphy as a president because they didn’t like him. Now that is impossible to do because the council’s term has expired and nobody has extended the term. So the whole council is null and void, and the holders of the office are there illegally.”

He said just as they had no authority to vote out Murphy, so they had no authority to vote in Craigwell. He said by posting the ad in the newspaper, the illegal Council was trying to make their actions seem legal. “The whole thing is a total mess. And they are running away from elections, those who are on the Council right now, because they know they will lose.”

Calls to Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh and Registered Nurses Association of TT president, Idi Stuart went unanswered.