Health Minister orders SWRHA: Reinstate Dr Teelucksingh

In swift response to the suspension of Dr Joel Teelucksingh, the Health Minister has directed that the consultant be immediately reinstated despite ongoing investigations.

Dr Teelucksingh, a specialist in internal medicine, endocrinology and diabetes at the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA), was placed on administrative leave after his Ask the Doctor weekly column in the Trinidad Guardian was published on March 21.

Titled The Emperor's New Hospital, it critiqued the opening ceremony of the Central Block of the Port of Spain General Hospital and the state of the healthcare system.

"I note that Dr Joel Teelucksingh has been sent on administrative leave by the SWRHA. Whilst I find his opinions and writings sometimes controversial, I am a firm believer in free speech even at my own personal expense," Terrence Deyalsingh said on March 23 via a statement.

"In that belief, I have directed that Dr Teelucksingh be immediately reinstated and that the investigation be conducted whilst he is on the job."

The minister did not give any other information.

Earlier in the day, SWRHA confirmed that an employee was sent on leave to facilitate an internal, fair and transparent investigation into a matter of compliance with the Regional Health Authority's governing law under the RHA Code of Conduct and the relevant policies.

The SWRHA did not name the employee.

"This decision was made in accordance with our commitment to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, accountability, and integrity. At this time, the authority is unable to provide further details, as the investigation has been initiated," a statement from SWRHA said.

"The authority remains committed to due process and will take appropriate action based on the findings."

Teelucksingh's suspension sparked debate, with several political figures voicing concerns over the decision.

Mayaro MP Rushton Paray condemned the suspension, calling it a "national disgrace."

In a letter to the editor on March 23, the opposition MP added the suspension was an outrageous and dangerous response to truth-telling

"It is a cowardly act that punishes integrity, mocks free expression, and sends a clear signal: professionals must stay silent, even as the system fails the people it is meant to serve," Paray said.

"Dr Teelucksingh is no junior doctor. He is a consultant in internal medicine, a lecturer, a published researcher, and a respected figure in local and international medical circles. He has nothing to gain from challenging authority—except to defend the public interest."

Paray said Teelucksingh's decision to publish the satirical column, knowing the risk fully, speaks to uncommon courage and deep civic responsibility.

"He put his reputation on the line to speak up for patients, staff, and the healthcare system itself."

Paray went on to defend Teelucksingh's reputation, emphasising that the article was not personal or political but rather a critical commentary on the state of the healthcare system, specifically highlighting the disconnect between hospital openings and functional service delivery.

"It was a fable—clever, biting, and unfortunately accurate. Every doctor, nurse, technician and patient in TT knows the situation he described," Paray said.

"Overcrowded wards, long waiting lists, exhausted professionals, and patients dying while waiting for care. Is this fiction, or is this our everyday reality?"

The MP said the country needs more people like Teelucksingh.

"We do not need fewer voices like his. We need more. In doing so, he reminded us of what it means to be a citizen —not a servant of power, but a defender of the public good," Paray said.

"He has earned not suspension but the gratitude of a nation still waiting for a hospital that actually heals."

Meanwhile, Congress of the People (COP) leader Prakash Ramadhar joined the chorus of criticism, likening Teelucksingh's suspension to an authoritarian move to suppress free speech.

He charged that if Teelucksingh spoke the truth, whoever decided to have him suspended must be removed from any line of authority.

A voice note from Ramadhar said. "This must go directly up the chain of command to the political directory. Certainly, this is what dictatorship looks like. The first thing is the suppressive voices of independent speakers.

"One of our most favoured personalities in the country spoke the truth, in my view, and the response is that he must be silenced? Then what does that say about democracy? This is what dictatorship looks like. This is what the country will benefit from if the PNM is returned to the power."

Ramadhar believed the decision to suspend Teelucksingh was political "because the criticism went to the politics."

"The consequence was that he's been silenced. We will all be silenced if we do not take note now and make the right decisions moving forward. This is who they are. This is what they are about," Ramadhar said.

He threw jabs at the government and urged people to take action against what he described as an attack on freedoms.

"We have an opportunity to prevent that future, notwithstanding all of the difficulties of this country, we have always cherished our freedoms," Ramadhar said.

"This is an absolute attack on the freedom of each and every one of us. We have a duty to protect those freedoms."

Calls to Teelucksingh went unanswered.