Bishop Cline wants deputy to succeed him

Bishop John Cline, who was forced to resign as Chairman of the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) this week, said he would like the current deputy chairperson of the BVIHSA Ayana Glasgow-Liburd to succeed him.

While noting that the decision will be made by Government, Bishop Cline believes Glasgow-Liburd is the most suitable person to carry out the major initiatives he wanted to accomplish – including the accreditation of Peebles Hospital and introduction of medical tourism.

“The deputy chair, I hope, will be upgraded to chair because she has the best knowledge of what we would do. Our executive management team and the staff of the BVIHSA, I think, have come a long way in terms of buying into what we were trying to accomplish. So I think it’s been successful and I wish them the best.”

Bishop Cline, who admitted that he was not yet ready to leave the BVIHSA, stated that he has encouraged Glasgow-Liburd to ‘run with’ the initiatives he wanted to complete.

“I got off the phone with the deputy chair, and I said to her, if you take this, run with it. Don’t let what we have tried to accomplish fail. Make sure it succeeds.”

Premier Smith had demanded Bishop Cline’s resignation after the clergyman publicly agreed that the premier should – among other things – give up leadership of the ministry of finance.

.“I was disappointed because I wasn’t able to finish some of what we started – I mean some very significant things. But I am hopeful that the Board [of the BVIHSA] that is there – some of the board members will remain,” the clergyman added.