by:Ernest J. Farfingbottom
How in the f*** can it make any sense for the Health Minister to get up and say that in order for things to run smoothly at the hospital, he has to personally go up there everyday to interview and eavesdrop on the staff?? Am I living in the twilight zone?? What the actual f***?? Did you hear him?? That is what he said, not once, but several times.
Those of us who try to protect our sanity by not dwelling on the political misadventures of our elected officials were driven to the brink of madness recently upon witnessing the Minister’s press conference and other media appearances.
The hospital is a flaming disaster – operating theatres out of commission, AC not working, nurses constantly on the brink, maintenance issues persistent – and this man coolly tells the nation that his solution is to just go up there and handle everything himself. What??
Where is the hospital Chief Executive Officer? The Chief Operations Officer? The Chief Maintenance Officer? Where is the hospital board Chairman? Do these positions not exist? Are they paid directly or indirectly from the taxpayers of this country? So how in the f*** can he calmly say that the solution to the problem is for him to personally go up to the hospital every morning?
He is then asked if there is an issue with failing management. The answer is obviously yes! And it is the government’s job (his job) to get the right management in place. But instead of admitting that, he deflects and contradicts himself repeatedly. He blames the UPP for how legislation passed in its era restricted the Minister from being involved in day to day operations, thereby reemphasizing his insane argument that the solution to poor hospital management is ministerial micromanagement every day by him showing up in person.
He seems to lay the responsibility at the feet of the board only at times, saying that there had been a failure to bring things to his attention swiftly enough to secure the government’s timely intervention in the past. But then he defends the board at other times saying they are doing a good job now because they are a new board, but admits that they’ve been in place for a year and he still finds basic issues not dealt with.
The man said he had to overhear people discussing an issue of a valve being off, in order to address it personally. What is that – governance by eavesdropping? So, what does this mean for the people? Our hospital management and accountability framework is so poor that if the minister does not go up there everyday and eavesdrop on the staff, problems will go unrectified???
No minister is supposed to be at the main hospital personally directing and correcting day-to-day operations. That is insanity. If he feels the need to do that, or if the occasion arises, it is because the MANAGEMENT HAS FAILED SPECTACULARLY.
His job is to engage the management and assess their performance based on unbiased reports reaching him of the hospital’s performance. His job is to make management accountable for the job they are SPECTACULARLY failing to do. Not to go up to the hospital and do everything himself. What kind of banana republic are we?
And this is where the other failings of our democracy are on full display. Our parliamentary structure is so pathetic and so flawed, that we lack parliamentary committees to oversee or inquire into anything at all on behalf of the people who pay for this sometimes abysmal and sometimes deadly public health service.
In a civilized democracy, the CEO, COO, and C-whatever-O of the hospital would be summoned before something called the Joint Committee of Parliament on Public Health, to publicly address concerns about the functioning of the institution.
Such a committee would be composed of MPs and Senators of both Upper and Lower Houses. They would meet regularly and the hospital management and board would be mandated by law to appear before the committee with a certain regularity.
MPs would have the opportunity to share the experiences of their constituents at the hospital and demand that senior (highly paid) officials be accountable for failings. That is how a Parliament should work. That is how accountability should work. That is how a democracy should work.
But here? Here, Parliament is only good for political speeches and boycotts and pappyshowing – no actual work taking place.
There should be an independent external audit of hospital performance that occurs every six months. It can be done by an independently appointed Inspector-General for Public Health. These are the kinds of positions that exist in a functioning democracy that gives half a sh** about accountability.
Such an office should be responsible for mounting a regular six-monthly assessment of hospital performance, assessing finances, interviewing doctors, patients, management, the board, the minister, etc etc, and providing a report on where there are issues to be addressed – poor communication, backlogs, lack of maintenance, understaffing, morale issues, safety issues, wastage, etc etc.
This report should first be provided to the Minister and the Cabinet, as well as to MPs and Senators, then made public. It would form the regular basis upon which the Minister and the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Public Health can assess the performance of the hospital. The Inspector General’s Office should also be capable of launching specific probes into specific issues identified by the Minister or by the Committee. That is how systems are supposed to work.
But here? F*** no. Banana republic to the max. Molwyn was asked on radio how the government was dealing with nurses being chronically burnt out. The man says the government is offering scholarships for more people to become nurses. How in the f*** does that make sense? You are offering scholarships for people to join an underpaid and overworked profession????? But you are not increasing the pay for the profession????
Without a significant pay increase, you will not encourage people to STAY in the profession you buffoon, and it will continue to be overworked and underpaid, which means that anyone who takes up a scholarship to study it, is just as likely to move overseas with their skills you paid for, as all the people who are already OVERWORKED AND UNDERPAID NOW. I swear to God, it is hard to imagine that politicians can be this dense, this incompetent, and this dumb, but holy f****** sh**, Molwyn stunned me this week. How can you be THIS stupid????
Do you want to know the real reasons why things at the hospital seem to be going awry? Here’s a list:
- Zero accountability of the hospital management to the hospital board
- Zero accountability of the hospital board to the Minister / the executive branch
- Zero accountability of the either the board, the management, or the Minister to Parliament
- Zero routine unbiased formal assessment of hospital performance upon which policymakers can act
- An incompetent board
- An incompetent management team
- Zero performance checks and balances for either
- A minister who wants to be in charge of every aspect of everything all the time because he alone knows best because he has allowed the entire system to become ridden with problems
- Underpaid and overworked nursing staff who have low morale and whose performance cannot be clamped down on because there are already too few of them and they are already going the extra mile because they are overworked and underpaid (same with our police)
- Doctors for whom there is a weak national structure of accountability for malpractice or unprofessional behaviour
- No adequate means to act upon complaints by patients and clients
- A breakdown in effective communications between involved parties at all levels
I could pick all that up just from listening to Molwyn talk rubbish all this week. God knows what a proper formal assessment by unbiased authority would discover.
We haven’t even begun to talk about Clarevue or the clinics, or the mishandling of the Cancer Centre situation, or the absence of an adequate number of trained medical and health specialists to deal with psychiatry, counselling, special needs assessment, developmental disorders, speech therapy, etc.
Meanwhile, we have Sir Molwyn, who was knighted, ostensibly for his handling of the Covid pandemic, before the pandemic even ended. What a man. Rolls Royce Molwyn. And instead of sacking this fool, Grabston Browne will just jump on his radio station come Saturday and talk out his ass. Banana republic.
And the bottom feeders will come to suckle and praise as is their God-given nature. They can’t manage the damn hospital but they had the gumption to stick Lester’s wutless name on the wall.
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Well said @ Farfingbottom👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Here’s another ten (10) reasons why the Health Minister Molwyn Joseph MUST go forthwith:
1. The lack of funding into Health care.
2. Accepting AstraZeneca from countries that had banned the drug (I.e, Denmark and the UK).
3. Not doing ANY due diligence into what the pharmaceutical companies were telling you.
4. Following the lockstep movements of the other pro Covid-19 vaccination countries, who are NOWChiding under their bushels, due to serious adverse reactions and Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS).
5. The lack of nurses and doctors has happened on Molwyn’s watch.
6. The lack of life-saving equipment has happened on Molwyn’s watch.
7. The lack of life-saving drugs and medicines – again – has happened on Molwyn’s watch.
8. Those of us who have to use the hospital, expect you to do your utmost to keep us safe as an elected Member of Parliament.
9. You should ensure that the excellent care and attention that you and your family receive when travelling abroad, should also be available for Antiguans at home. Simple!
10. YOU WILL EVENTUALLY ANSWER FOR THE PART YOU PLAYED ON 08/08/2021. GOD NAR SLEEP …
Sir Molwyn is exhibiting NEXT LEVEL leadership. What they did not tell us is that it is the next level down. Not up. Pathetic.
Minister Joseph acted like a teenager in a reality show; and making it all about him, by adding unnecessary drama to an already febrile situation
Some people think it’s a bit late for him to cast himself as the being concerned after the public has been begging for changes at The Medical Center and The Health care system for so long for long; and he had not lifted a finger
The trenchant criticisms here reveal the persistent depth of mistrust after all the unforgivable neglect of the health care system.
The management reforms outlined are not rocket science. This ask for giving up and distribution of power and decision making with competent leadership.
Power is to important for him and his colleagues them to let go and the likely reforms will never happen.
Is the entire ABLP party full of nassistic bastards, for real?
Tell me it isn’t so! We are dealing with one at the helm, and the trickle down effect just blasted through the entire party?
Everytime anyone of these jokers open their mouths, it’s pure deception, deflection and utmost propaganda.
Bwoi a tell you..I just feel sad for my people..Four more years of this inconvenience, no sah!
Well as long as he can have his health issues taken care of at the Mayo Clinic I guess its peaches & cream while we suffer at Sir Lester Bird Medical Clinic😷😷🙄🙄😎…
@Ernest J. Farfingbottom,
Yes, by every measurement, Antigua and Barbuda is a Banana Republic, and make no bones about it.
The Rt. Hon. VC Bird Sr. accepted a constitution which we have today with few items which were negotiated.
The sit down at Lancaster House, where the only sparks that flied were from The Barbuda BLM Delegation who were seeking independence from Antigua.
Unfortunately, rather than sitting and negotiating the Barbudans walked out losing out on the opportunity to be part of a Federation similar to Nevis.
VC Bird Sr. was prepared to take the boiler plate constitution document except a few items which were dear to his heart. A provision that allowed Lester Bird who was born in NYC, to be able to become Prime Minister. At the same time VC Bird Sr. made sure the Constitution contained clauses the prevented any born Antigua who became a citizen of another Country, immediately becomes ineligible to be a member of the Antigua and Barbuda Parliament.
After some 65(?) years this Constitution and Governmental structure has enabled the “TALK TO YOUR MINISTER” syndrome of who gets Governmental Services and Benefits.
The Troy Allen and his mother’s experiences, at the Medical Center is illustrative and confirms exactly how the system works. He was able to call the Prime Minister. She is alive not because she was triage on entering the Emergency room but because he was able to “Talk to The Prime Minister.”
Troy Allen is now the poster child of The Talk Your Minister Syndrome which is destroying the Country. He makes a living advocating for the Talk to your minister style of political management. He seemed only to be upset that he was not given the treatments of an important political player. It’s a Banana Republic by every definition of a Banana Republic.
Politicians has no interest in doing away with that political culture, for lose their value and power, should the “Talk to your Minister” political culture is eliminated.
Even before the Healthcare System crisis, The Minister was deep in over his head.
Forums such as this has to continue to press for change; but until Antigua and Barbuda builds a robust Civil Society, the politicians will continue without any consequences.
@Inquisitr…acknowledged, and well said!
Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
De’ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrat_Bastard
Vere C. Edwards
You are blaming the UPP for “how legislation passed in its era restricted the Minister from being involved in day to day” operations at the Hospital?
Let us say this was so, what prevented you from going to your majority House and putting correct legislation in place to allow proper functioning of the hospital?
Did I hear you say you smurfs only do this when you want to take away the land from Barbudans?
Another thing. You have to go to the hospital every day.
You only do the hospital? Is the Ministry of Health all about the hospital so you spend everyday there? And what about the high-priced executive you hired? Has he gone AWOL on you with Antigua taxpayers money in his treasure chest?
If you weren’t so shameless you would clean out your desk and say goodbye. You probably want to do that, but you just can’t picture anybody else driving that status symbol vehicle in the air-conditioned garage. That will hurt.
To quote Joanne, you all make me sick. You make me sicker.
You get a government you deserve!
The people voted them in for another
5 years!
Let them suffer!
You wanted labor now suffer under labor!
Water scarce food prices high the hospital in
Scrambles and people say go labor!
I have never seen such ignorance in all my life!
So you what, go ahead and tek it!
You got the government you deserve!
Red means bread!
You better pray you never get sick 😫
Is not about you GET FOR WHAT YOU VOTING FOR me dear lady. Is not LET THEM SUFFER.
This kind of behavior (divide and conquer) Is coming from,for all global countries. People as you are seeing SMOKE THROUGH A MIRROR..the day you and all of those who just pay attention to this crappie people at the helm of any states the world will change.
You forget all of them combined and lock down us for almost 2 dam years??? Forcing all of their population follows their bullish.. rules from their own political sickness??? Where are all those nurses and doctors who make a GOOD CUT $$$ during this nephrarious agenda!!!!. You can see their smiles,their get their covid bonus,their get their attention as “ALL THE TIME THEIR WANT” and now ( the phase is down) the movie stop. Not pay one minutes of your precious time to this bullish.. politicians,not matter the Damm political party colour ( all are related ) in one way or other. Let’s see and coming together as a HUMANS not SOCIETY. Something is falling and here not one is mentioned. ( THE FARMERS STRIKE ) at many big countries globally.
Please me dear,please.
Regards
Inquire
When the top slack, the bottom and middle don’t do or do as they like. Things in Antigua have never been this bad under previous administrations. Does this government put people in positions to run the hospital because they are qualified for the job or because of some political friendship. Even if the individuals are capable, are they allowed to do their jobs without
interference from the minister?
No Minister in any country visits any hospital everyday. They appoint competent people and fire them if they don’t do their jobs.
You want change? Clear out the swamp that is the Labour Party. They care nothing about the people. Power and getting rich is their mantra.
True dat.
@Sandra clarke
We do not really want our people to suffer.
Many times, reasonable people say the unexpected out of frustration; and I feel your pain.
There are a number of people and institutions who benefit from the conditions. When we recognize who they are, despise them.
Keep in mind in Parliamentary democratic societies there are two types of Ministers.
Ministers in the Parliament elected by the people; and Ministers of the Gospel elected by faith of the people.
Religious Ministers play a very large role in what’s happening in Antigua and Barbuda. They are not innocent bystanders, they are enablers.
Many may disagree. but I view them no different from the LGBT-Q person who claimed he is a woman and needs to be in placed in the female section of the prison, as he awaits his/her trial.
With the intervention of the attorney, prison authorities acceded to his wishes after they threatened to sue the State of New Jersey.
After he got one of the female prisoners pregnant, and the authorities tried to place him in the male section of the prison; he sued the State.
In Antigua and Barbuda, Religious Ministers will quickly say: We are a Christian Country. But they are no different from the LGBT-Q person in the NJ jail.
The people empower the Ministers of Parliament, and the Ministers of Religion enables The Cabinet to the raping the people. The Ministers of Religion pray over them every week, as they concoct another scheme to rape the people.
And that is the society in which we live.
UPP will make noise for the next 50 years. UPP will never gain power in Antigua in our lifetime. UPP will continue to make noise in OPPOSITION. They should find competent leaders in Their party instead all those CRIMINALS.
Ok @ JP, you are entitled to your opinion, but could you shed some light on the missing $1 million dollars that was meant for the recovery after hurricane Irma?
Six-and-a-half years, and the donators are still awaiting answers from the Prime Minister Gaston Browne. In fact JP, he hasn’t responded to messages and emails since two weeks before the last General Election.
Come on Mr Mout’ Ah Massy … respond to dat???
AND YOU AH TALK ‘BOUT CRIMINALS!
If labour give you JP SHIT FU NYAM YOU NYAM UM
The good Sir is hallucinating. Lewybody dementia to be exact ( tremors memoryloss delusions grandeur self praise intensehatred ).
It’s high time his family takes him under their care.
Does he have any family out there? Please step up before he drives himself over the downtown wharf
Oops! You all must remember nomenclature only attached to the names but id Gaston really the person running everything which takes money which he is wrecking on Niro yatch, liat and dredging and nyamco so no money available to take care of the citizens.
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