Miller: Health ministry being mismanaged
Cayman Islands Hospital entrance
(CNS): The opposition leader and chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Ezzard Miller, raised his concerns about the mismanagement of the health ministry after yet another scandal emerged regarding finances at the hospital. Still reeling from the CarePay debacle and more recent and unexplained issues surrounding the Department of Environmental Health and the management of the dump, Miller said he was particularly concerned about financial irregularities at the Health Services Authority, in light of the recent reassurances about finances given to PAC and reassurances given to the public about staff by the hospital boss and HSA board chair.
The PAC chair, who is also the opposition spokesperson for health, said that either “by misfeasance or malfeasance, this ministry is being mismanaged”.
He pointed the finger at the public sector management, including Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn and HSA CEO Lizzette Yearwood, as being among those who should be held accountable for the problems. But he also noted that, having been in post now for eight months, Health Minister Dwayne Seymour could no longer duck responsibility and had to take ownership of whatever is leading to so many things going wrong when it comes to public cash. Miller said it was time for someone to be actually held accountable for the mounting problems at this ministry.
Miller said the silence and repeated refusals to explain to the public what is going on was unacceptable. “The days of misspending public money are over. We want to know what is going on,” he added.
The entire internal team of security officers at the Cayman Islands Hospital has reportedly been placed on required leave with full pay. But Miller questioned why the officers had been suspended when they do not sign off on their own overtime hours and the issue must be down to management.
He said the outcome of this latest scandal is that the people’s money is being spent to address management mistakes. With staff on leave on full pay while a private sector security is being contracted, it was costing the public purse a small fortune, he noted.
Meanwhile, the DEH is still in disarray after the director, Roydell Carter, appeared “to have evaporated from his post”, and Miller said someone had to be held accountable for the Christmas garbage collection fiasco and other issues relating to the mismanagement of staff there.
He also raised his concerns about the current negotiations over plans for the integrated waste management system, saying there were still many questions about the tendering process for this. Calling for more transparency on what will be a very lucrative contract, Miller asked how it was that the three companies that were pre-cleared to bid suddenly became the consortium that secured it.
Miller said the opposition wanted to see some serious reform of policies and procedures at the health ministry and urged the deputy governor to examine the issue and the competency of the people who are supposed to be in charge at this increasingly troublesome ministry.
“The public needs assurances that the services they are paying for are being properly delivered and offer value for money. Health is an exceptionally important portfolio that impacts everyone,” he said, as he called on the civil service senior management and the minister to explain what is going on.
Category: Government Finance, Government oversight, Politics
Locals and expatriates that is running down the mathemstion and king of cayman please stop it if it is because you are just the corrupted lover’s of money. Please write too the auditor general of cayman by help shading the light on corruption and the leave the king of cayman to do his job because the premier did not do anything about the situation in deh but too hold the garbage worker’s under his dumb tumb and lead the deh director by the neck and threw a few tires for the tire project too get the publicity in the media and can not hear anything else anymore about the tire project in the media anymore.
Wow … you people are amazing at “holding code”, aren’t you?
If not for the background of the individual primarily responsible (Chief Officer) for these ministerial failures, the criticism would be hot and heavy in her direction.
Instead we are seeing jabs at Ezzard (the man who is calling out the shortcomings), Dwayne Seymour (the man who has just arrived), Franz, and even Alden.
Oh well, apparently those proverbial privileges travel wherever certain folks go and find a few colleagues.
Anyway, happens all over Cayman in every sector – so just more of the same really.
I just hope the powers that be are paying very close attention to these trends of modern, social verdict in the Cayman Islands – or maybe this dysfunction is limited to the CNS crowd?
Let’s hope so.
The private security team currently at hospital is doing a far superior job than anything I have seen while employed there the last 10 Year’s. To begin with they are actually ther, on site at the facility. Something I question about the group on suspension. Anytime you went looking for them they were nowhere to be found day or night. Useless group. The private firm are visible inside and on the property and are actually doing security type responsibilities. When the other group is on site they are often found in a group hanging out with undesirables in the parking lot. Cut them loose and bring on the private firm full time.
Civil Servants, including Chief Officers, DO NOT direct the actions of public authorities. The Board of the authority and the Minister responsible are the only people who can do that
You are naive to think that.
HSA CEO cannot and dare not make any important decisions without clearing with the ministry the board are political appointees that are directed by the politicians and ministry.
ROFLMAO! Do you really think Jon Jon Seymour is making any decisions in his ministry and various reporting departments. That ministry is run from top to bottom by chief officer
Hold on a minute…. though Ezzard in right in his comments about the health ministry…this never just happened….. even from the last administration Ozzie was the Health Minister… and after he made all his comments about his CO being ‘driftwood’ Alden then took over that Ministry. Though the Ministry juggled between the two of them… neither did anything the entire four years! Before them was Mark Scotland who did something towards leading that Ministry. I guess the bigger question is… though Minister’s have changed each election… the CO hasn’t! So maybe this is where the problems lay…. even as far back as the Care Pay Fiasco. #moreaccountabilityneeded #timetocleanhouse
From well before that. Ever heard of the Dr. Horter Memorial Hospital? Ask Ezzie, he can fill you in.
This is embarrassing as a country. No wonder when the outside world see crap like this they all want to come and milk the cow. How much more are we going to take as a society to accept this lack of accountanbility and transparency? Fraud and board level now fraud at security level? There must be some connections why certain people are still in control?
The Ministry of Health should be aware of a the endemic condition in the Caymans known as CORRUPTION. It is insidious, Its first appears as small acts of dishonesty and then, those infected become carriers and it is usually passed to others through familial or business contact. In a population of 30,000 it has infected many. Corruption does kill, but weakens the economic, moral, and spirit of whole populations. Corruption cannot be cured but it can be controlled by public awareness and keeping your hands clean.
Miller could press for the rudimentary Standards in Public Life Law (2014) to be enacted, but perhaps he too fears compliance, like his colleagues. There are no MLAs on either bench pushing to further accountability, or to put a stop to the lucrative baksheesh.
I heard there was a patient in the Hospital that the family went to look for and when they arrived at the hospital he was nowhere to be found and no one could tell the family where he was. They went looking for him and found him in Windsor Park wondering around. Now that is Security at its best.
Looks like the bottom like is Miller wants to run all these authorities by himself. He can find out the information in due time.
It is very clear that management is doing what the are supposed to by catching problems as they happen.
Well done HSA!
well its dwayne…..you surprised?
Not a good look CIG, clean it up.
Just because they govern us is no reason to duplicate an NHS type of operation.
– Who
😉
You will say anything to criticize the UK won’t you who?
What did some British lady break your little heart, grow the fuck up
Sort out your personal issues with some counseling instead of in comment sections
Christ
Raising it to NHS standard would be an achievement. Although they clearly failed to put you out of our misery.
Being mismanaged? No shit Sherlock! To 11.39 am, the only reason any opposition politicos are raising these issues is because they don’t have their fingers in the pie. Many governments have come and gone, many have talked about these issue and with what result? Nada, nichts..wake up sleepy…that’s a particularly powerful brand of Koolaid you been drinking…
I think not having their fingers in the pie is a good thing don’t you ? Thank God we have an honest opposition. You in the other hand seem like a total idiot
Keep taking the pills, they might work one day.
Watson in jail. Guards on suspension could this be accountability.
Was the CO of Health and CEO fired for failing to read contracts before paying the Carepay contracts? The answer is NO. That would be accountability also don’t you think?
Current CEO never signed the contract. Whoever was the CO should answer to DG not HSA. HSA is showing accountability and action.
Mr Miller , not only the Hospital is mismanaged , the whole Government is .
Speaking of mismanagement, take a look at North Side.
It all starts at the top. Thats what happens when you get rid of good people and elect someone who doesnt have a clue just because he shakes your hand and asks how your mama doing or promises you the world.
Yet another time where Miller talks without having facts. Pure propaganda that he spreads.
Really ? Have you read the news lately ? Are they making it up ?
It’s people like you who are destroying this country, instead of looking at the facts you choose to attack Mr Miller who seems to be the only one concerned with the massive overspending and waste of Government funds – which I may add is provided via the taxes we pay
Anonymous 11:39am , I completely agree with you , and that kind need to be over at another News Media helping them .
What exactly is Mr. Miller doing? He is attacking hard working, qualified Caymanians. I have yet to see any solutions provided by him.
If there was a scandal and no one was suspended then he would cry “inaction.”
Ratings queen!!!!
What’s he missing?
All the facts!
Anon 11:07. You appear to be claiming that YOU are in possession of the facts about what is going on at the Hospital.
Why are you not coming forward and supporting or assisting Mr. Miller in trying to get to the bottom of this mess?
I suspect that you are one of those who are benefiting from the mismanagement at the hospital and want to keep Mr. Miller quiet while you continue to feed at the trough ………. otherwise how would you be able to contradict Mr. Miller on the “facts”.
Like Ezzard Miller or hate him, we all owe him a vote of gratitude for having the balls to expose wrongdoing, no mater who it catches.
I for one am saying “keep up the good work PAC”
With CIG all overtime has to be approved by a member of management BEFORE it is worked.
Was this approved by a member of management? Did they have a budget for overtime?
Was it exceeded?
There should have been red flags to know that this was happening. We’ll wait and see what happens with the persons responsible in management for approving the overtime and the finance team that processed it.
The most intelligent statement Miller has made in years!
You mean by stating the obvious?
Oh please, we all know that no matter what happens in that ministry, nothing will happen to the CO or the CEO.
The buck stops with Franz Manderson. Why is he ignoring the obvious and failing to lead from the top?
Explain how Franz is responsible for the Hospital. You asked for accountability and you are getting it. Persons being suspended and being held accountable is happening.
Franz is responsible for all Chief Officers including Jennifer Ahearn of the Ministry of Health which plays a key role in directing the HSA and management. If the Chief Officer is failing to perform properly the buck stops with Franz to manage his direct reports who play a huge role in management of the hospital.
and he will not manage any of his Chief Officers, Those that remain are the ones he picked, so he will support them no matter what wrongs they do. Health, Education, which ministry next
….meanwhile, over at immigration….