Linden Hospital Complex gets new governing board

A new 12-man governing board for the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) was on last week Thursday installed before Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran at a ceremony in the boardroom of the hospital complex at Watooka, Linden, Region 10.

Also present was Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Joseph Hamilton and LHC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Farook Riyasat. In congratulating the members of the new board, Minister Ramsaran cautioned that they work within the parameters of its operation and seek not to infringe on what should be the responsibilities and functions of the hospital’s administration.
“A board does not manage and a board is not to interfere with the daily administration of the hospital,” Minister Ramsaran said. He contended that such a situation always leads to tension among the board, the hospital administration and staff, and tend to require the ministry’s intervention for resolution.
He advised that the board recognises that their aim is to give guidance and suggestions to the hospital administration and staff and hold them accountable. Minister Ramsaran noted that the LHC is too big to fail, and that it is towards the aim of fostering its growth and success that attention was placed on identifying and installing a “board that will give some overarching umbrella of support” to the internal leadership at the hospital.
The board comprises members from specific skills industries and with specific expertise. They are from Bosai, the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council (RDC), the Linden Chambers of Commerce and the Linmine Power and Light, among others.
The board members include Raymond Sankar (occupation health and safety officer, Bosai); Winston Luke (GPSU workers’ representative); Maurine Butters (councillor/ head of RDC Health Committee); Maylene Charter-Stevens (deputy regional executive officer); Dr Pansy Armstrong (regional health officer); Sherry James (Linden representative); Basil Jaipaul (Linden Chambers of Commerce); Patrick Dublin (manager, Linmine Power Company); Dr Farook Riyasat (CEO, LHC) and Carlotta McKinnon (chief accountant, LHC). Roubinder Rambarran, who is manager of the Health Ministry Secretariat, will chair the board.
Minister Ramsaran said the expectation is that the hospital, through the board, will be able to draw from the best practices employed in these agencies and, that the board will offer the kind of support that will allow the internal management to utilise their energies as best fitting their roles and responsibilities.
Dr Riyasat had earlier enumerated some of the results being realised at the hospital, inclusive of its zero-level of internal infections.
Noting the hospital’s good practices and results, Minister Ramsaran lauded the staff and administration of the LHC. He said that the hospital’s results show that the staff are following the correct medical procedures and that the staff are being effectively managed.