Region 10 officials, nurses call for Linden Hospital Complex CEO to resign immediately

……following distateful comments

Region 10 Officials are calling for the immediate resignation of the CE0 of the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) Rudolph Small, following the publication of inappropriate comments made to writer of media blog ‘Around the Regions’, Rawle Nelson. In a video seen by this publication, the CEO admitted to making the comments which he was quoted as saying, “I intend to put a stop to this. We have some nurses who are accustomed to reporting for duty at nights….they sign in then they get away (and) go and sleep with their sweet man….(and) would come back in the morning.” He further added, “the behaviour is so rampant that there have been instances where nurses’ spouses or husbands would have end up in physical or verbal altercations with the sweet man (secret lover) after turning up to find that the nurses are not at work but is found at the rival’s residence.

In a correspondence seen by this media entity, which was sent to the CEO by the Regional Chairman and endorsed by councillors, calls were made for his immediate resignation. “The RDC views these statements…..as distasteful, disrespectful and totally untenable. These statements have also put hardworking and committed staff at risk of domestic confrontations and discord within their home settings.” The Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony, who was copied to the missive, was called upon to terminate the contract of the CEO.

Regional Chairman Deron Adams and councillors subsequently met with nurses at the hospital who relayed their position, which is that the CEO resign with immediate effect.

 In a video seen by this publication, the CEO approached the nurses to apologise to them and explained that the statements were made off the record. The nurses were however not having it and expressed how the statement has brought public shame to them and even created distrust between marriage mates.

Adams and councillors subsequently met with the CEO and directly asked him to resign.

Following the public backlash over the incident, the CEO, through the office of the Public Relations Officer, published a statement, which he explained, that the statements were made off the record, after the official interview he had with the blogger. “At the end of the interview, off the record, the reporter and I engaged in casual banter. During the off record conversation, certain popular rumors relating to the issue of disappearing staff members were highlighted. Those rumors relating to behavior of nursing staff have been part of the folklore in this community long before my arrival as CEO,” the statement said.

“The statement said the CEO was shocked and mortified by the post, which the he said the reporter added salacious commentary, alleging certain inappropriate behavior of nurses.”

It said that the CEO is proud of the work the staff has been doing and the introduction of an electronic timekeeping system is not meant to denigrate the staff, but to reduce and eliminate the imperfections that exist in the hospital.

Calls for the resignation of Small were made a few weeks back, when he unilaterally decided to withdraw the contract that the St John’s Brigade had with the hospital for over five decades, which saw the unemployment of over 15 women, many of whom are single mothers.