Independent Senator and Chairman of the Joint Select Committee (JSC) on Social Services and Public Administration, Dr Paul Richards, said he has heard many complaints from the public regarding patients being diverted to see their doctors at their private practices.
In light of this, he is calling for an investigation into the rising trend.
The JSC met officials from the Ministry of Health and four regional health authorities (RHAs), namely the North Central (NCRHA), Eastern (ERHA), South West (SWRHA) and North West (NWRHA) yesterday and Richards reported that he had heard these complaints at the JSC’s various town hall meetings.
Richards said: “The public is very disturbed,” and he called for an investigation and said violations should be met with greater consequences.
Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Asif Ali promised to look at an investigation but said they had very few written complaints to investigate.
Richards, noting the parliamentary agenda, remarked, “We may have whistleblower legislation soon.”
The senator also asked if doctors who work in the public sector were obliged to declare if they also worked in private practice.
Ali said he did not think so, but he needed to look at their employment contracts.
ERHA CEO Angelina Rampersad-Pierre said the issue has not been seen in the ERHA but if it is seen, the authority has systems in place to deal with it.
Richards also asked about doctors clocking in to work in public hospitals but then vanishing to work at their private practices.
NWRHA’s Anthony Blake said this was a matter “of grave concern.”
He said managers must understand their role and that a monthly review of attendance must not be a rubber-stamp exercise.
“It is an issue. It is a problem, and we are working on it.”