BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - IT is alleged that, yet again, some form of drama had erupted in the Ministry of Health which may have resulted in the Permanent Secretary being directed to take vacation with immediate effect.
Information reaching SKNVibes suggests that an incident occurred between Permanent Secretary Ionie Liburd-Willett and an official of the Ministry of Health when she “stood up for the integrity of the office she holds”.
Liburd-Willett was served with a letter dated “7th November, 2016” in which she was “directed to utilize all the vacation days you have accrued up to 31st December, 2016”.
The correspondence further indicated that according to the records, she had accumulated 59 vacation days and that she should proceed on vacation leave with immediate effect. And while the letter is dated November 7, November 5 is the date on which it said she was to proceed on leave.
The letter also required that she turned over any assets of the Ministry of Health, including keys, to the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws.
SKNVibes made contact with the Senior Minister with Responsibility for Health, the Hon. Eugene Hamilton, in an effort to get his comments on the matter, but he declined to do so.
Acting Prime Minister the Hon. Shawn K. Richards however confirmed that the letter – directing Liburd-Willett to take vacation leave immediately – was indeed served to her.
Her leave ends on January 31, 2017.
Only in mid-June this year former Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patrick Martin was delivered a letter informing him that he was to proceeded on vacation leave.
Martin told SKNVibes that he had expected to be sent on leave “because of certain incidents which have been happening in the Ministry of Health”.
One of the things he highlighted is that a project was being undertaken at the JNF General Hospital involving stem cells and he intervened because the proper medical clearance was not given.
Information which reached SKNVibes indicated that the then Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Andrew Skerritt, was also sent on leave and was later reassigned to the Office of the Prime Minister. His replacement was Liburd-Willett, who was transferred from the Ministry of Education.
An attempt made by this publication to contact Liburd-Willett proved unsuccessful.
