Morris urges Chief Sec: Act on unregistered medical specialists

MINORITY LEADER Kelvon Morris has called on Chief Secretary Farley Augustine to take action on a reported decision by the Tobago Regional Authority Board (TRHA) to appoint acting specialists who are not yet registered with the Medical Board of TT.

Morris posed the question to Secretary of Health, Wellness and Social Protection Dr Faith Brebnor at the THA’s plenary sitting on January 23 in the Assembly Legislature.

At that sitting, Brebnor confirmed the specialists did not have the required certification.

She said, “The certification process actually takes a while, and because some of them have submitted their certification, they are awaiting the response."

But, she added, "The hospital has the coverage that it requires via the medico-legal requirements, which is that because the head (of the department) is covered, everyone who works under the head is covered.”

Brebnor also said she was not concerned about possible legal ramifications.

But in a video on February 20, Morris said the issue was about life and death.

“When the secretary was asked whether there are any issues to be concerned about, she basically told us no, and she even said there is no medicolegal ramification,” he said.

But Morris read correspondence, dated October 30, 2024, from a senior medical officer to the TRHA querying the hiring of the specialists for three departments, saying it could result in “serious legal consequences.”

The senior officer was quoted as saying, “The organisation has promoted individuals to act in the position of specialist medical officer in various departments...who do not possess the necessary prerequisite registration by the Medical Board of TT to practise as specialist medical officers.”

The officer went on to say,“This practice has gone unabated for an extended period.”

In his video, Morris added, “So what this means is that every family who would have had a relative that would have passed through the health system and if they feel in some way there would have been some medical malpractice that would have caused their family or relative to either die or experience some adverse effect, there is serious legal ramification and consequences of the action of this secretary, and this TRHA board that would have allowed persons to be acting as specialists when they are not so certified by the legal body, the TT Medical Association board..."

Describing the situation as “scandalous,” Morris called on Augustine to intervene.

“This issue requires the chief secretary to act forthwith. Because how could a secretary who would have seen a correspondence like this, where a senior officer is writing to the...(TRHA) that you have people here not properly certified and we can face legal consequences (sic)?

“And instead of the secretary putting their house in order, she continues for this to go unabated and without apology.

"This requires full action by the chief secretary and for every family who would have lost someone..., I am saying to you, come forward and let your matter be heard because there is legal redress for you.”

He said the issue must not be swept under the carpet.

“In fact, I am calling on the various bodies, including the Medical Board, to step in and take action against this because this is about people’s lives, the lives of Tobagonians.”