Knews, August 3, 2016

New’ Deputy CEO perplexes senior GPHC officials –position non-existent; Board unaware of appointment

Senior officials of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) including the hospital’s Board were reportedly stunned yesterday when a ‘new’ Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) turned up at the facility issuing instructions for a meeting today.

This publication understands that the “new” Deputy CEO, Paul Clarke, whose last known public sector position was manager of the Cheddi Jagan Dental Centre, arrived at the public health facility and informed senior officials of his appointment. Clarke, this publication was reliably informed, arrived at the public hospital yesterday informing senior officials that he intends to have a familiarisation meeting with them.

But this publication was told too that not only isn’t there a position of Deputy CEO at the hospital but the Board, which is tasked with ensuring the optimal performance of the facility, was not even aware of the appointment.
Reports reaching this publication suggest that Clarke arrived at the hospital and said that he was there on the instruction of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, Mr. Trevor Thomas, to take up the position. A telephone call to Thomas’s office yesterday to verify this appointment was met with disclosures that Thomas was engaged in a meeting.

Kaieteur News was told that Clarke did not bother to present a letter of appointment to anyone to substantiate his claim of being the ‘new’ Deputy CEO.
Reports are that the Acting CEO, Mr. Alan Johnson is currently on sick leave. Filling the gap in his stead is Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr. Sheik Amir, who, this publication was reliably informed, was also unaware of Clarke’s appointment.
“This is not only disrespectful to the Board of Directors but it is disrespectful to the entire hospital…how can we operate like this,” questioned an official close to the operation of the hospital yesterday.
This development comes at a time when the hospital’s Board is dealing with a number of controversial issues, including the reinstatement of its CEO, Mr. Michael Khan.
Khan was sent on administrative leave last year to facilitate a forensic audit of the procurement process at the hospital. However, this publication understands that the findings of the audit conducted by Junior Finance Minister, Mr. Jaipaul Sharma, cleared Khan of any wrongdoing.

Although the Board, ahead of the unveiling of the findings, had agreed that Khan should be reinstated once cleared, the Board is said to be currently divided about having him returned as CEO.
Moreover, the Board has since written to Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, to preside over the matter.
When contacted yesterday Minister Norton acknowledged that while he has the final say when it comes to Khan being reinstated, he also intends to bring the findings to the attention of Cabinet before a decision is made. Cabinet met yesterday, but this publication was not able to verify whether the matter was brought to its attention.
However, Minister Norton had made it clear that “the forensic audit might have very little to do with reinstatement…but much more to do with if a wrong was done, to what extent and the consequences.”
The Minister added too that even if a decision is made at the level of the Board on this issue he must first approve it before it can be enforced.
He was not available for a comment on the appointment of the ‘new’ Deputy CEO.