Hospital silent over ACC’s arrest of staff
Cayman Islands Hospital entrance
(CNS): The Health Services Authority has said it will not be commenting on Tuesday’s arrests by the Anti-Corruption Commission of two members of its staff over allegations of fraud and corruption. The latest ACC investigation that led to the arrests of two George Town men yesterday focuses on the overtime scandal at the hospital that had formed part of an HSA internal audit revealed earlier this year, which resulted in the suspension of the hospital’s security team.
Following the statement from ACC officials yesterday, having learned that the new probe by anti-corruption investigators centred around this latest financial scandal at the hospital, CNS contacted the HSA and the health ministry. CEO Lizzette Yearwood stated in response, “The HSA understands the public’s interest in the matter but as this is an ongoing investigation, the authority is unable to provide any comments at this time.”
She made no further comment and did not answer the CNS question about whether or not the two men arrested by the ACC had been suspended.
The hospital continues to be plagued with financial difficulties and the source of numerous concerns regarding its management. The first major corruption case prosecuted by the ACC centred around a payment system at the hospital known as CarePay, which led to the former HSA board chair, Canover Watson, being charged and convicted of multiple charges of corruption.
The hospital has also caused concern for the Public Accounts Committee over its debt management and wider financial management problems. The chief officer in the health ministry, Jennifer Ahearn, is also under fire as the committee has filed a motion of contempt against her after they concluded she had lied when questioned about the Medical and Dental Council.
The same chief officer is also facing public pressure over mismanagement at the Department of Environmental Health, where another overtime and payment irregularity was discovered. DEH Director Roydell Carter remains on some form of unexplained leave and garbage collection problems have continued for more than a year.
In addition, there are a number of questions surrounding the procurement process that led to a consortium of bidders securing what is expected to be an exceptionally lucrative waste-management contract at the dump.
A consortium led by DECCO (Dart’s general contractor) was identified as the preferred bidder last October, but since then, after eight months of discussions, there has been no indication how those talks on the public-private partnership are developing.
Category: Crime
And people still scratching their heads over why the UK launched a corruption investigation. This island will be fried (tempurad) in it’s own fat soon.
If this financial scandal is related to overtime payments, who approved the overtime for these two men? If the overtime payments were approved by their supervisors, then why are these men under investigation and not their supervisor?
The ACC is indeed only frying the small fish. The Auditor General is uncovering more substantial cases of corruption and investigating heads of departments.
How many in the CS have outside business interests and use govt time to run them. Need to start checking time recording, vehicle records, fuel accounts and every other way of managing time. Stop these people stealing from public purse and make their managers accountable.
Its time to fire the CEO of HSA. Its obvious management is not doing the job and that starts at the top, including the board.
This makes no sense at all. The management are the ones who discovered the problem. Why would you get rid of the people that are fixing the corruption?
Year wood will resign with big fat wad of cash as settlement and it [will] not be disclosed to the public…. This I predict.
Things like this will continue if we refuse to hold the leadership of the HSA accountable for their actions or inaction.
So the management suspended the security team and they are inactive?
Try to make sense.
Which two Caymanians from the Hospital. I didn’t think that we had even one working there.
You mean like the Caymanian CEO ?! The person who ultimately has responsibility for operational matters….
I know a bunch, hmmmmmmm what an ignorant comment.
11.12pm You are right, not one “working” there, but quite a number drawing a salary.
Ambulance Department
Managment next…..!!
Keep digging, you’ll find more in several departments
The People of the Cayman Islands are still waiting for the head of the snake that gave Canova Watson that big fat cheque in the Care-Pay transaction to be chopped off.
It’s obvious most of the posters has no idea of the responsibility of a chief officer when it comes to a statutory authority. Read the public authorities law.
The CEO and Board is responsible for the day to management of the authority and the Minister has more control than the CO.
It is clear to me that if this matter is about overtime, neither the Minister or CO is responsible.
If the PAC did it’s job instead of bullying and pursing private agendas this crap might not happen.
Agreeing with Perry the CEO and board must be held accountable however, the CO did admit on record that she never fully reviewed the Care-pay contract. How someone still remains in their post after that is simply amazing
Why don’t you call for heads to roll and for CEO’s to be fired when theft occurs in the private sector. Maybe because those CEO’s are on a work permit.
Every month I read about an employee of a bank or private sector business being convicted of theft but I have never read of the CEO being fired because of the theft.
HSBC shut down it’s business after a scandal but look where one of its top employees ended up. He now has the nerve to preach about accountability in the public service and at HSA.
big men/rich never take fall in cayman…that the way it is…….done deal!?? get used to it….
Incompetence is rewarded in the cayman civil service and celebrated
Just Another Day in Absurdistan
I’m just thankful that these things are finally coming to light. what a picnic they have been having all these years. Give the whole Government a good shaking up and get rid of the thieves and crooks.
The two men arrested didn’t sign the checks or approve the budget at the HSA. HSA management and the Ministry of Health CO again are the persons ultimately responsible for this latest scandal at the hospital. The security guards and supervisors are the low hanging fruit for the ACC while the top dogs continue with no accountability. Welcome to the civil circus.
Civil circus you are sooo right.
Civil circus …they are not civil servants. You must be a clown in the circus.
Two more paid vacations.
How many more scandals and oversights can Lizette oversee before she is properly held to account and dismissed ? Nothing personal, but clearly she isn’t up to the job.
Didn’t I read that HSA is in its best financial position now since its inception?
I believe Canover said that when he was on the Board stealing.
Stop picking on Ms Ahern & Dart as they are the only ones who can fix the dump properly.
Wow! The ACC is having a busy year with Immigration, Customs, HSA, Port Authority, DEH etc… I’m just wondering when the real king pin’s will get taken down a notch, because so far they are only frying the small fish. Corruption starts from the top anywhere but they are too scared to chop off the heads of all of these snakes.
documentation will be furnished in the not so distant future.
It won’t happen , see what happened after the Watson 7 years prison sentence , serve less than 1/3 and now you have 2 more Watsons .
West Bay Premier your comments make me shame to be a west Bayer. Why do you hate Caymanians so much?
I believe that you were that way before I ever wrote a comment , I don’t hate anyone , I love everyone including you .
Anything to back that up?