Today’s debate in the Senate piqued the interest of the blogmaster when that chamber debated the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Amendment) Act 2019. As a side note Senator Caswell Franklyn must be commended for almost single-handedly keeping the dissenting voice alive in a democracy under stress given the result of the general election of May 2019.
Of interest to the blogmaster was Senator Franklyn’s point the newly created Executive Chairman’s position was not advertised to create the opportunity for the best candidate to be selected. The BU family may recall the former government took a similar position by appointing Arnie Walters at the BWU, it failed. We learned recently that Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland, the wife of Minister Dwight Sutherland was appointed to the role as Executive Chairman of the QEH. An incensed BLP Senator Rudy Grant sought to deflect Franklyn’s point by promoting the qualifications of Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland. After relieving himself, he failed miserably to make contact with Senator Franklyn’s principled concern. Listen to the debate at 48 minutes into the following video.
Senator Rudy Grant took the opportunity to update the Upper House about the status of the garbage trucks due to be delivered in November. After listening to his explanation one must conclude the Board of the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) under HIS chairmanship did not have a plan in the SHORT TERM to move garbage from the streets of Barbados. Correction: there was a plan to procure second hand garbage trucks, however, a team sent to Europe was recalled by Prime Minister Mottley in August 2018 for reasons this blogmaster is to properly understand.
Driving around Barbados on a daily basis there is deep sadness and embarrassment at the piles of garbage to be seen deposited at every street. For many households garbage pickup is once every four or five weeks. This blogmaster has sympathy for the inherited position of the government. A fleet of garbage trucks not properly maintained or added to in a decade. However if the problem was known before taking office a commonsense position shouts that a temporary plan should have been implemented. For example the government immediately selected default on debt on winning the government, no hesitation – there was a plan? Almost two years in office and there is no discernable plan for picking up garbage. More embarrassing is the fact we should be discussing waste to energy.
After the BU blog post – QEH on Death’s Bed we are knocked for six at today’s revelation by Leader of Government business Senator Jerome Walcott. Te naked corruption, misappreciation of taxpayers money and level of mismanagement. This is not new at the primary care institution. Politicians continue to laugh at we all the way to the bank.
Please note: Senator Crystal N Drakes touch on the matter of the external debt agreement for those interested in her view on the matter.
259 responses to “Senators Caswell Franklyn and Rudy Grant Clash Over the Appointment of Minister’s Wife to Executive Chairman @QEH – GARBAGE”
@Enuff October 23, 2019 9:59 PM
It is a pathetic diversion for any political party to excuse irresponsible behavior by saying that the other party did it first. Shame. I am not a member of any political party; the vast majority of Barbadians are not members of any political party.
The BLP spent years and years saying that everything that the DLP did from 2008 to 2018 was corrupt and venal, so how can you imagine that imitating their behavior can be seen as anything but similarly corrupt and venal? Why would you try to draw attention to similarities between your party and the DLP??
@ David BU at12 :38 PM
Even if what you say is true, and I know it not to be true, Is it appropriate for Batbados? Are we back to follow pattern now? Is that progress? Is that independence of thought. I recall your criticizing the arrangement at BWA? Is this a case of different strokes for different folks?
@ DavidOctober 24, 2019 12:38 PM
“… Senator Drakes indicated in all of her research the top hospitals in the world mirrored a structure with an executive Chairman.”
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I believe that Senator Drakes is cherry picking her comparative data. She is using American hospitals, which are for profit businesses in a competitive commercial environment, to skew her comparison. We have never made a policy decision to imitate American style for profit health care.
Pardon the Freudian slip. “Barbados” not ” Batbados’. But some of us are becoming as blind as a bat. LoL !!
Is this the only problem Caswell see affecting barbados
How come he hasnt put up a fight in parliament for the workers and pensioners
Yeah i have heard him toss a few soft balls but nothing hard enough to make a dent
Even the NSRL a couple sound bites and then dead silence
David
Appointment of an Executive Chairman
The Minister shall, with the approval of the Cabinet, appoint an Executive Chairman. The Executive Chairman reports directly to the Minister. We cutting out the red tape.
Wasn’t the ICBL prior to its privatisation managed by an Executive Chairman and did well? Secondly, if we believe that in an island with 300,000 people that relatives of politicians should be barred from key posts, we need help. The woman will not be reporting to her husband. We “transparently” hired the goodly Dr and look wey we are now. Should the govt had advertised the post, maybe? But to prove what, faux transparency? My only question is whether Bynoe-Sutherland is qualified and if she can deliver. I repeat the government will be judged by the results or lack thereof. I note not a fella questioning the lady’s competence. 🤔
Peter one must imagine both types of hospitals require similar management approaches to achieve efficiency.
@enuff
You are it is a similar approach that was taken by Arthur by appointing consultants to avoid the red tape as you refer to it? Why not make the red tape more efficient?
Re Whenever a nonprofit organization places a board member on it’s staff it is a signal that the organization is in big trouble. Boards are there for governance… executive staff are there to run operations. It is very worrying to overlap these two functions because it damages both governance and operations.
Furthermore, it is highly problematic to have an executive leadership of a hospital without experience in the operational delivery of health care services.
The CEO and Chair being the same person is bad news in any organization, but it is particularly damaging in nonprofit or governmental organizations because they are particularly vulnerable to financial chicanery and conflicts of interest. This is because in a for profit company the interests of the CEO and Chairman are usually aligned: make money.
CORRECT
RE However in a nonprofit or governmental organization the governance and organizational priorities are very often at odds with each other. Governance has to prioritize the organizational mission of public service, while the executive has to cut and contrive to balance the budget, the staff interests, and a million other tactical details.
CORRECT
Although I disagree with 99% of what he thinks and says, even GP would be a better choice for this position
ALSO VERY CORRECT SIR . AND I WOULD EMPLOY SIMPLE SIMON AS DEPUTY
RE f you listen to all of the video embedded Senator Drakes indicated in all of her research the top hospitals in the world mirrored a structure with an executive Chairman. Minister Boston in his contribution on the issue did not address this issue.
PLEASE KINDLY NOTE WHEN THE BLP UNDER TOM ADAMS SOUGHT TO SET UP A NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE EXACTLY LIKE THAT IN THE UK, A YOUNG BAJAN DR WHO HAD LEARNED BY ROTE, WAS SMART ENOUGH TO SUGGEST A WAY THAT COULD BEST BE ADOPTED TO OUR CULTURE AND NEEDS.
AT LEAST TWO MEDICAL ILLITERATES HERE ON BU HAVE DENIGRATED HIM AND SAID THAT THE SYSTEM IMPLEMENTED ON SEPTEMBER 1 1985, WAS NOT HIS IDEA.
RE I believe that Senator Drakes is cherry picking her comparative data. She is using American hospitals, which are for profit businesses in a competitive commercial environment, to skew her comparison. We have never made a policy decision to imitate American style for profit health care.
AGAIN CORRECT!
WE CANT MIMIC a policy decision to imitate American style for profit health care.
THAT IS TRUE LEARNING BY ROTE.
To your other appoint you should not underestimate the benefit to projecting an approach steeped in transparency. Others are watching, lead by example. If you do not where will the change come? What will be the tipping point to usher a new way of doing things in the country? Some will use the words culture and ethos at this point.
RE Peter one must imagine both types of hospitals require similar management approaches to achieve efficiency.
NO THEY DONT
THEY CANT
@ Enuff
The “lady’s competence” is not at issue. You are shifting the goal posts. I hope the other bloggers do not follow you down that cul de sac. The issue is that of merging two positions and the moral hazards which the merger will magnify.
“Secondly, if we believe that in an island with 300,000 people that relatives of politicians should be barred from key posts,”
they SHOULD BE BARRED..and you have needed help with the toxic nepotism for DECADES..
&GP
Let us pick two:
Procurement and plant maintenance
Why would either have a different approach?
@David October 24, 2019 1:28 PM
“Peter one must imagine both types of hospitals require similar management approaches to achieve efficiency.”
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NO! No, absolutely not. In a for profit hospital in the USA you optimize profits through vertical integration with health insurance company and then create bureaucratic roadblocks to treating anyone who is not rich or over insured. It is a corrupt and cynical mess that has very little to do with health care. This is why the USA spends 17.2 percent of GDP on health care, compared to just 8.9 percent for the OECD median.
Have to confess this is a learning for the blogmaster, the questions are meant to shed light.
@David October 24, 2019 1:44 PM
Procurement: In the USA hospitals are part of vertically integrated conglomerates that fiddle the transaction costs between different companies in the conglomerate in order to rip off the public.
Plant maintenance: Fancy premises are a core part of American Hospitals marketing strategy because the objective is to make the rich feel comfortable while simultaneously getting the poor to go to your competitor hospital.
@ David BU
One does not change for change’s sake. One changes to effect improvements.Change and progress are not synonyms. But then you will retort that is obvious . But if you review your comments on change you seem to infer that change is progress. You need to examine what the consequences of the changes are.
re Have to confess this is a learning for the blogmaster, the questions are meant to shed light.
THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE SIR
PLT HAS A GRASP OF THE SUBJECT.
Physician, heal thyself! I hear prayer works.
NOTE THAT PLT HAS GIVEN AN ANSWER FROM EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE NOT BY ROTE LEARNING OR CUTTING AND PASTING LINKS
HE SEEMS TO HAVE SOME INTELLECT
@GP
Some?
LOL
Is PLT an “expert” in the field?
RE Physician, heal thyself! I hear prayer works.
I DO BOTH 1 PRAY & 2 HEAL MY SELF AS NEEDED
@GP
“PLT HAS A GRASP OF THE SUBJECT”
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Note the date and time, October 24, 2019 2:15 PM, as the official time stamp of Hell freezing over. I am but a humble “MEDICAL ILLITERATE.” 😉
(But I do understand governance and management in both for profit and non profit ventures.)
Even fowls should know that this “we gathering” brouhaha is FRAUD BEING PERPETRATED BAJANS in the Diaspora right… are yall too arrogant to see that no one is allowing this RIGHT..only FOWLS will present themselves to be ROBBED…
BTW ..having a stroke does not absolve ANY TIEFING LAWYERS…
https://www.facebook.com/jackie.stewart.965/videos/1147605782115626/?t=129
@Vincent
What on earth drove you to that conclusion? If we accept the discussion is being fueled from a concern our frameworks; processes and procedures have been failing, is it not a reasonable position to accept change must be introduced?
RUNNING A PRIVATE HOSPITAL IS REALLY A REAL ESTATE ENTERPRISE IN WHICH THE PROPERTY IS ESSENTIALLY RENTED OUT TO THE ATTENDING PHYSICIANS WHO THEN SUBLET TO THEIR CLIENTS (I.E THEIR PATIENTS)
ACCORDING TO THE SIZE HIRING STAFF MAINTENANCE IS MANAGED BY SUITABLE AGENCIES
IN SOME CASES THE DRS OWN THE REAL ESTATE
E.G DR BAYLEY’S COTTAGE HOSPITAL
BAYVIEW WHEN BOUGHT THEREFROM IN 1984
OTHER SMALL HOSPITALS
A PRIVATE HOSPITAL IS REALLY A BUSYNESS …….A PUBLIC HOSPITAL IS MORE OF A SERVICE OR TENDS TO BE PREDOMINANTLY SO
RE I am but a humble “MEDICAL ILLITERATE.” (But I do understand governance and management in both for profit and non profit ventures.)
STILL QUALIFY AS AN EXPERT WITNESS IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE
YOU DO BETTER THAN SOME DRS WHO CAN ONLY DOCTOR– AND NOTHING ELSE!
WALCOTT SEEMS TO FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY EXCEPT OF COURSE FOR HIS AREA OF EXTRACURRICULAR EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE
SSS:
You wrote: “Caswell is asking the hard questions and questioning the mindblowing decisions of a Barbados Labour Party presenting their brand of so called facts and enlightenment. … Are saying that Caswell is a pimp for the BLP operating like he opposes the BLP?”
Perhaps you were not paying attention to Parliamentary debates over the past 40 years. Politicians accusing eachother of gross mismanagement and gross corruption is common. So is their consistent voting pattern of legislation that was harmful to the public, despite their theatrical blustering.
I am simply stating my observation that Caswell and Drakes seem to be following this pattern of entertaining theatrical bluster, and then consistently voting with the BLP on every single bill that was harmful to the public, despite having ample evidence that it was harmful.
I asked Caswell a simple question of whether he voted for the Data Protection Bill. I sincerely believe that Caswell is the only independently-minded person in the senate. I have spoken with senators who have admitted that they are allowed to speak as entertainingly as they wish, but they must vote with the BLP.
I do not believe that Caswell would submit to that type of instruction. Therefore, my conclusion is that he is easily tricked. He was not on the select committee for the Data Protection bill. I simply want to know whether he actually read the Bill, or whether he was advised, by someone he trusts, to vote for the Bill. Only Caswell can answer that.
Ah telling yal NOW..ya arenot getting away with turning these people into VICTIMS..ya will get ya trifling, small island, corrupt asses DRAGGED OFF THE ISLAND…which is long OVERDUE…,,yall are not robbing anymore BLACK PEOPLE IN BARBDOS…THIEVES…
“What I’ll say to all living abroad who have any means of financial stability..don’t fall for the hype!!Many that have done so have had many regrets..facing false accusations of being mad or mentally unstable and thrown into the mental asylum..had their property vandalized ect?ect..so they want you to come back to a place with no adequate water supply..spotty internet and phone service..lousy transportation system..crooked politicians and lawyer’s who sees returning patriots as their personal piggy banks or ATM machines??”
although the internet service is not too bad…lol
Walcott should TELLhis part in selling out QEH..but i bet he would much prefer tell Donville’s part…makes for better PR..
HantsOctober 24, 2019 12:34 PM
@ Donna,
BU is a place for all to express their opinions. You can read or scroll past comments you don’t like.
I use my index finger (on the scroll button on my mouse ) as often as PM Mia uses hers to point when she is speechifying. lol
Enjoy the freeness.
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Not to belabour the point but I was not proposing that we prohibit experts from speaking their piece. I was addressing those who seem to think that ONLY experts should speak their piece or that others should sit at their feet in adulation.
Perhaps you should properly read what I have written before you offer me unnecessary advice.😜
And to the one who thinks that curiosity can only be satisfied by listening to certain experts who may present themselves on BU, I would remind him that experts often disagree and we do have access to their presentations as well. And what passes as expert knowledge in one century is often debunked in another. Experts are often proven wrong.
This “shut up and listen, fool” attitude is what ails us most in Barbados. My best financial advice came not from a financial expert but a lowly accounts clerk. It was not that he said anything that a financial expert had not said. It was that he presented it in a way that caused it to stick. It was simple and to the point and starkly logical.
Sometimes a “fool” can cut through the foliage to find that one diseased tree that started the rot.
And how often have experts come up with a plan that the labourer on the ground could tell them was unworkable?
Sigh…..
Back to the topic.
“And what passes as expert knowledge in one century is often debunked in another. Experts are often proven wrong.”
lol. ha, ha, ha..
not only is the QEH A PUBLIC HOSPITAL——- IT IS IS AND HAS BEEN SINCE 1967 A TEACHING HOSPITAL!
peterlawrencethompsonOctober 24, 2019 12:25 PM
Thank you for this important contribution.
@David BU at 2 :26 PM
I am happy to learn that my opinion that you consider structural change as a panacea for break downs in our governance systems is false. I would argue that persons,for the most part, failed the systems by their incompetence and irresponsible behaviour and should be removed. Especially when headed by other persons they were rated first class.
RE This “shut up and listen, fool” attitude is what ails us most in Barbados.
AND SO DO THE TENDENCY TO LISTEN TO, AND FOLLOW FOOLS AND THEIR ADVICE!
Sometimes it is not what one says but how one says it that is the hindrance to good communication. If one wants someone to be receptive to instruction it is better not to call him/her a fool first. That tends to trigger closure of the ears.
Expert advice from a simple mother – no diploma in child psychology just the experience of trying it both ways.
This society loves to divide people up into white and non-white, have and have nots and know and know nots. It seems as though we can only make ourselves feel better by being part of some exclusive club.
Sigh,,,,,
@Vincent
Agree with you. Meritocracy must be the norm to promote a performance based culture. Sometimes one has to tweak the system to avoid dysfunction, that is the system must be continually massaged to be fit for purpose.
Then they want to DICTATE…who should and should NOT HAVE..and who should know and should NOT KNOW…an ugly, backward society….that the wicked leaders are more than happy to maintain….to promote their own self interests…
David
“Why not make the red tape more eficient?” Effecting efficiency sometimes require rejigging the organagram and delegating and or simplifying decisionmaking. The issue here is the surname of the person; whether advertised or not she would have been appointed by the government and her appointment opposed by the narrow-minded, who feel she should be barred from government wuk. If the government views the transformation of the QEH as a national and political priority, shouldn’t they hire someone who is qualified, competent and, more importantly, trustworthy and committed to its agenda? Furthermore, what’s wrong with ensuring the law allows the Minister to appoint such a person? Again I don’t recall there being an outcry, far less a blog, on the Arnie Walters appointment as Exec Chair at the BWA even though it was neither advertised nor lawful. I always marvel at how we never seem to know when to wear the fish bowl spectacles or the atlantic ocean ones. Think bout it!
RE If one wants someone to be receptive to instruction it is better not to call him/her a fool first. That tends to trigger closure of the ears.
WHEN I POST ON BU I HAVE NO APOLOGIES TO MAKE TO ANY ONE FOR WHAT I SAY
I DONT CARE IF THEY ARE RECEPTIVE OR NOT OR WHICH AREAS OF THEIR ANATOMY THEY CLOSE
I JUST TRY TO BE AS ACCURATE AND TRUTHFUL AS I KNOW HOW
OVER THE YEARS ALL SORTS OF MORONS HAVE THEIR SAY HERE
SOME HAVE EVEN CUSSED MOCKED AND SOUGHT TO CONTRADICT ME
NONE OF THEM EVER ASKED WHAT I NEEDED TO BE RECEPTIVE TO THEIR BOVINE EXCREMENT
BUT I EAT THREE SQUARE MEALS A DAY I AM AT PEACE AS I RUN THE RACE SET BEFORE ME AND PREPARE TO GO TO MY ETERNAL HOME NOT MADE WITH HANDS
TICK TOCK ROCK ROCK ETC
@Enuff October 24, 2019 4:27 PM
“The issue here is the surname of the person…”
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WRONG! That may be the issue for yardfowls, but for Barbadians the issue is bad governance structure at the QEH. As I have pointed out above, it is folly to conflate the governance and operational leadership in a non profit social service organization like the hospital. It is also highly suspect to have the operational leader have no health care expertise. This will not work.
RE This society loves to divide people up into white and non-white, have and have nots and know and know nots. It seems as though we can only make ourselves feel better by being part of some exclusive club.
THE REALITY IS THAT THERE ARE
1 whiteS and non-whiteS
2 , have and have nots
3 know and know nots.
It seems as though we can only make ourselves feel better by being part of some exclusive club.
IT SEEMS THAT THE KNOW NOTS ENJOY BEING IN THEIR EXCLUSIVE CLUB ON BU
WE HAVE THE CUT AND PASTE LINK CLUB
WE HAVE THE DONT EVER HAVE ANY THING ORIGINAL TO SAY CLUB
WE HAVE THE BOVINE EXCREETERS CLUB
AND SO ON AND SO 4TH AND SO 5TH
RE It is also highly suspect to have the operational leader have no health care expertise. This will not work.
PLT YOU BETTER TEK DE JOB MAN
GET SIMPLE SIMON TO HELP
HER THESIS LAST WEEK ON CLEANING IS SPOT ON
DONT OVER WORK HER AND LICK UP SHE OLD BACK
@ Donna who wrote ” Perhaps you should properly read what I have written “.
….#indexfingeronscroll.
The appointment of an Executive Chair is not going to impact the efficient running of the hospital as the role sits above the day to day efficacy of how the hospital is managed on a day to day basis. The problem with QEH as I see it is a lack of a whole systems approach to planning and delivery. Is the health system considered as a whole? Is there any planning to determine the different scenarios that come into play when non-elective admissions impact planned admissions? To what extent are A&E attendances managed or diverted to reduce the impact on the ‘flow’ between hospital admissions and discharges to reduce bed blockages? Apart from Polyclinics, what resources are in place in the community to safely minimise hospital admissions and maximise hospital discharges to improve QEH’s capacity to manage the influx of admissions it is likely to receive during peaks of activity (like the current peak in respiratory illnesses)? What,if any risk management plans exist to utilise the voluntary and private sector in such instances? Let’s not even begin to discuss the management of medicines over the medium to long term!
I suspect the answer to most of the questions posed above is none and this is the problem. The day to day management of the hospital is in my view the problem and the appointment of an Executive Chair won’t change that. The healthcare system needs a thorough, holistic review that considers a range of ‘what if’ scenarios rather than knee jerk reactions that act as band aids. The review needs to include focus groups of staff and consider the QEH, community services, Polyclinics, voluntary sector and at a push the private sector. Further, it needs to be managed as a whole system rather than a series of parts. Dr Dexter James, who I met more than once, was not competent for this task. I cannot comment on the new Executive Chair though I doubt this sits within her remit. I believe merging the chair and exec roles will be a disaster as there needs to be a clear divide between oversight and delivery for there to be clarity of accountability. My main concern is the taxpayers of Barbados will not necessarily be the benefactors of this change and that, in my view, should be the main focus of any changes to QEH
Well said just coolOctober 24, 2019 6:00 PM. You have some grasp of the subject.
That Dr Dexter James, was not competent for this task is also true but we like to employ foreigners at the expense of our own
Managing a health system – which is a dynamic organism- requires some one who has functioning Betz cells and one who actively persues goals proactively.
I can sit here and easily give you the answers you seek, but my time for all this is gone. I was not treated well by these jokers,and I will not sprain one Betz cell to help. I helped in 85 when VIc Johnson & Obrian Trotman listened. I too old now.
For somebody who is happy you sure come across as miserable. Besides, methinks the gentleman protests too much.
Hants,
You commented on what I said. It is always good to read before you do that. But if you prefer to scroll past then have at it.
Good night, old boys club! I leave you to pompasette and strut and put all the “morons’ in their places. And the world will be a little better because of your efforts.