Tracy: Health sector unaffected by lack of TRHA board

Health, Wellness and Family Development Secretary Tracy Davidson-Celestine says the division will soon receive its instruments to appoint a new board to the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA).

The two-year term of the last board began in July 2018 and was expected to end in July.

At the division’s media briefing on Tuesday, Davidson-Celestine said the absence of a board is currently not affecting the hiring of staff or the daily managing of the island’s health sector.

She said the issues confronting the sector do not immediately warrant the input of a new board.

“Currently, we have an acting CEO (Wesley Orr) who is responsible for operationalising the Tobago Regional Health Authority and we have the CEO and his management team, who would meet with myself, as secretary, and also the administrator.”

Davidson-Celestine added: “So, if there are any issues that require, whether it be policy direction or an administrative directive, we can deal with it until the board is appointed, to take responsibility for assisting the secretary with the policy and also for the strategic direction of the Tobago Regional Health Authority.”

She said from their meetings, so far, there are no serious issues requiring the “very urgent attention of the board.”

Davidson-Celestine said, though, the board is still needed “because there are things that will come up strategically and when they are appointed, they will treat with that.

“But there no urgent situations at this point in time.”

On March 2, the then board, chaired by Ingrid Melville, fired former CEO Sheldon Cyrus, citing poor performance for its action.

At that time, Melville told Newsday via text message Cyrus was put on a six-month probation but his performance was unsatisfactory. He was still given a three-month extension.

A follow-up performance assessment was done on February 27 but Melville said the board remained dissatisfied with his work and decided to end his tenure.

In November 2019, Cyrus fired then Medical Chief of Staff Dr Rufaro Celestine, two weeks after she expressed concern in an internal e-mail over the Scarborough General Hospital’s ability to provide specialist care for patients.

She had suggested, then, that the hospital be placed in emergency mode.

Her e-mail was leaked to the media and Cyrus fired Celestine claiming her action “created unnecessary panic and brought the organisation into disrepute.”