Ron Potter appointed as Moleto Smith axed as BVIHSA Chair
The government has decided to remove Moleto Smith, Chairman of the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA), with immediate effect, and appoint a new chairperson in his stead.
A decision document of the Cabinet’s March 8 meeting indicated that Cabinet decided to appoint Ron Potter, a former chairman of the BVI Electricity Corporation, to chair the BVIHSA’s board.
Potter’s tenure as chairman will be for the next three years, subject to approval of the House of Assembly.
It is not immediately clear why Smith was not made to complete his three-year contract which was not scheduled to end until July 2024. But, Cabinet indicated that he was stripped of his chairmanship “in accordance with Schedule 1 3(1) of the BVI Health Services Authority Act 2004“.
Under that section of the legislation, the Minister of Health may remove a board member of the BVIHSA if the minister is satisfied that the board member has been absent from three consecutive meetings without consent, becomes disqualified from being appointed as a member, becomes unable or unfit to discharge his duties as a member, or is in breach of any condition imposed upon their appointment.
In the meantime, Cabinet also approved the appointment of Kishelle Blaize-Cameron as Deputy Chairman of the BVIHSA. It also approved the appointment of Rosetta Crandall and Tashel Martin Jackson as members of the BVIHSA Board; all for three years effective March 2023.
The Chairman of the BVIHSA will be given a stipend of $1,000 monthly while the Deputy Chairman and other board members will receive monthly remuneration of $600 and $500, respectively.
Another Cabinet decision on the BVIHSA during that meeting was the appointment of Dr Dierdra Wheatley-Peters to the post of Human Resources Manager for a period of three years on the terms presented by the BVIHSA Board.
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ABSOLUTELY NO MEDICAL BACKGROUND
SQUARE PEGS IN ROUND HOLES
Marlon is are a disgrace. First he took the $8mill allocated to fix the sewage in the east and put it in the Pier Park multimillion dollar over priced project and left his people in the east swimming & walking in filt. Now he allegedly canceled the order for the temporary incinerators that would have been here already and put in use to reduce the smoke the people in the western area of Tortola & VG is inhaling from the fires you instruct to light. He needs to be removed from office as the blood of the people are on your hands. Now he is here with a political appointment.
That is because they want to run the hospital as a business entity and not a medical facility.
Excellent choice! This news made my day.
All the best, Ron. I am confident that you will continue to shine wherever you are placed.
How u get incinerator spell and look like u cannot manage the lil four and five letter words?
I agree so far as the no medical background part. It has been my belief for sometime now that the person best suited for that job is one with a medical background. If he/she has some business background, that would be a plus but not necessary.
One cannot expect anyone without a medical background who cannot understand the intricacies of managing a hospital, medical clinics, and all other components of a health care system if they don’t have any training in those areas.
It is a problem that has plagued the BVIHSA since it’s inception. At one time they even had a pastor of all people running the institution.
IMO, Mr. Potter may be a nice guy with a good business background, but he does not have the requisite skills to run a medical institution. Running a utility company is a totally different animal than running a medical institution.
I do not expect things to change, and may very well get worse. You cannot place an air mechanic to fly a plane and expect things to go well.
Unfortunately, patients and staff will pay the price.
all of this on the heels of election just for the new government to revoke and put in their own board. Waste of time and playtime of money
This happened a while now. What is the reason for it to now be forefront in the news again?
I wonder if it makes a difference. Dr Stevens has a medical background. Check the years of his tenure and see what statistic says?
It takes people who care about the country. Not people who live abroad with little concern for us here.
A waste. Just here for the $$$
in the 1st world would employ a human medical doctor with the requisite administrative skills to run the Hospital/Health Service as a business, not a charity. But the BVI employment pool seems to be limited to power plant administrators at this time. One aspect for sure is now the price of medical care in the BVI will skyrocket just like our electric bills have in the last 4 years!
Is this some kind of joke?? Dem FSC girls don’t have any experience to be on that Board. Marlon and the government really wasting my tax dollars! Are we serious of BVI or are we just making sure our friends are fed?
Nonsense. First stop making assumptions about people. You don’t know where people live nor how they feel about the BVI.
Furthermore, even if they lived abroad ignoring the fact that someone who is not medically trained or have training in hospital/healthcare administration because that person in your view is from overseas is just silly.
You are too blind to see the problem and apparently do not understand the implications of having someone without the sufficient background to run such an institution.
This is part of the problem in the BVI. There are too many people who support idiocy without understanding the implications of doing so.
By the way, lets assume you are correct in that the person is from overseas for argument sakes. Maybe that person is stating what they are stating because they have been exposed to a larger world in matters like these and how things are done and have more clarity on the issue without bias.
total rubbish
A complete waste as Chairman. Just helped himself and his friends.
Mr Smith was a total waste from the inception! In a matter of fact ALL the previous Chairman were USELESS!!
What I want to know, when are they going to give us health workers a raise. Imagine the past two minister give them money for this but still can’t get it. Still can’t get our 1% yearly increase either. One thing thou, management seem to always get a yearly increase along with their lackeys but the rest of us have to suck salt. Ronnie and Carvin this in you all but in Carvin defense he did get them to pay a portion before being remove as minister. Ronnie give money twice for it but fail to hold them accountable.
I do not agree that the chairmanship of the board necessarily needs to be someone with a medical background. I do agree with the BVI HSA part II 3(a) which outlines the knowledge and expertise of persons being considered to serve on the board which allows for persons with medical, nursing, insurance, social work, law, accounting etc.
Within this same act, there are a few top positions that requires for the holders to be medically incline which will support the functioning of the board.
What I do note is that it’s time for change in the top management of the hospital.
Its certainly time for a change in the top management of the hospital. The composition of the board must be changed. There must be a worker representative on the board. That is why for 27 years Management was able to filter, directs and control the board which in turn has never hold management accountable. Hence the state we are in. No entity can survive without a proper management team and certainly not without a HR department. Lets clean house and start afresh.
Look he is associated with the ndp and not a man saying a word?
Moleto was a HUGE disappointment and a HUGE waste of time. Hopefully Ron does better, cause dear Lord the inmates are running the asylum now. TRUTH.
He was appointed by an NDP minister but what is your point? Moleto Smith and Joey Stevens were appointed by a VIP minister.
Ask Marlon for the reports. I am sure you will retract this post.