Health Ministry to work with police on query over NCRHA's running Couva hospital

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said Cabinet notes and other documents related to the Couva Medical and Multi-Training Facility will be turned over to the police.

He said the Health Ministry looks forward to working with the police on the matter.

On June 1, the Opposition Leader wrote to North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) chairman Steve De Las and CEO Davlin Thomas querying whether the RHA had the legal authority to run the facility.

She said it should be run by the South West RHA, as it is situated in the Couva/ Tabaquite/ Talparo Regional Corporation, for which the SWRHA has responsibility.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the Couva Medical and Multi-Training Facility was incorporated in 2018 under the Companies Act 1995. She said at that time Finance Minister Colm Imbert said it would be jointly owned by the government and UWI.

“However, based on the most recent annual returns filed for the company on August 26, 2020, the only shareholder was the Minister of Finance, as corporation sole, holding all ten ordinary shares at a value of $1 per share that was issued. No shares have been issued to the UWI. Therefore, the company remains a company wholly owned by the State.”

San Juan/Barataria MP Saddam Hosein said on June 4 that the UNC would refer the matter to the Commissioner of Police for immediate criminal investigation.

Speaking at the Health Ministry’s media conference on Wednesday, Deyalsingh said, “There were Cabinet minutes number 570, and number 1284, dating back to 2018, (in) which Cabinet agreed to set up a special-purpose company, the Couva Medical and Multi-Training Facility, which comprises 51 per cent shareholding by UWI, and 49 per cent by government.

" The very broad remit of that is to operate the facility, so notice the term, the very broad remit. So we look forward to turning over all these documents to the police as the Opposition Leader has said, and we would take it from there. So that is the authority under which, the broad remit, as I said, meaning the operationalisation of the facility, and we will comply and assist and work with the police as Mrs Persad-Bissessar has said.”

Speaking to Newsday on Wednesday, De Las said he had acknowledged receipt of the letter from the Opposition Leader’s office.

“I saw media reports that there was a report to the police," he added. "I see a request was made for the police to investigate, and I don’t want to comment further.”

"I have acknowledged receipt of the letter from the Leader of the Opposition’s office."