CIG seeks more control over hospital with board change

| 22/09/2016 | 15 Comments

(CNS): One of the many pieces of legislation that government plans to steer through the Legislative Assembly next month is a small but nevertheless significant change that government hopes will help it keep a tighter rein on the hospital. The Health Services Authority Law (2016) Revision, which was published on the government gazette earlier this month, increases the membership of the hospital board from seven to 11 directors, with the inclusion of two members from core government and two hospital officials.

If the legislation passes, the new board will include seven appointed members, who will be picked for their relevant expertise, “demonstrating substantial knowledge and experience in specified areas”, the proposed law states. But they will now sit on a Health Services Authority Board that includes the chief officers from the health ministry and the finance ministry, as well as the HSA’s chief executive officer and medical director.

Officials from the government said the appointment of chief officers is being proposed to improve and formalise communication between the HSA and the health and finance ministries.

“It is important that we facilitate the interaction between the Health Services Authority and the Ministries of Health and Finance to keep abreast of ongoing work,” said Premier Alden McLaughlin, who is responsible for health.

The HSA has been plagued with problems since its creation but both its major fiscal challenges and the revelations during the fraud trial of the former board chair, Canover Watson, make it clear that government lost control of this authority.

Roy McTaggart, who is the councillor in the ministry, said it was important that Cabinet was involved in the overall process.

“This change in the membership on the Health Services Authority Board will improve the manner in which this board functions and should help to avoid mistakes of the past,” he said.

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Category: Government oversight, Politics

Comments (15)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    The whole place is run inefficiently . Some people need replaced sooner than later by more competent individuals who have the best interest of the patients and employees.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Lets hope that Doctor Sean Teeling wont be leaving our shores, cause he don’t need us but we need him. It was a wonderful day when our most Efficient Doctor Bromley was Given residence just before his time was up in Cayman. We are so proud to include such a skilled Doctor as he to be a Caymanian.

  3. Anonymous says:

    What is the problem at our hospital with repeated medicines not being filled on Saturdays? Also blood works can only be done up to 12:30 . With the amount of staff Saturdays could be rotated. We do not need to adapt any of the rules that staff from various countries bring to Cayman, after all Cayman is a small place and we have always been accustomed to good service. No one should be turned away because it is Saturday.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Reconciliation is still an issue with the hospital’s paper-reliant system. I just received an invoice stemming from a visit 7 mos ago for the patient co-pay amount I settled on date of treatment with credit card. Make sure to keep your Hospital receipts as proof of payment, if you aren’t already in the habit of doing so or you could get asked to pay twice.

  5. Veritas says:

    Do they all get free medical treatment for life with the right to sue for malpractice?.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Good Job, Congrats to the Premier’s sister on the HSA board new appointment. PPM, Conflict of Interest.

  7. Anonymous says:

    We should be proud to know that we now have one of the most modern in the world xray machine at our hospital. Also I would like to commend Dr Sean Teeling at the Emmergency who is so orderly and efficient. Just hope that he wont be returning anytime soon. God bless him.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Didn’t the Chief Officer of Health Ministry Jennifer Ahearn and HSA CEO Lizette Yearwood approve the payments to AIS Ltd?

  9. Anonymous says:

    Good move. The operational management of the HSA needs this new stern hand holding, because they just couldn’t handle it.

    • Anonymous says:

      HSA need to really have government involved cause the majority of staff is Jamaicans not Caymanians.

      • Anonymous says:

        And most of civil servants are Jamaican or controlling the political parties, we’re screwed unless we stand up for own identity and culture because they are really claiming entitlement to everything

    • Anonymous says:

      Fire the dead wood

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