Chief executive officer of the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) Brent Murphy is no longer employed with the authority with immediate effect.
The announcement was made via an internal memo dated yesterday and signed by acting chairman of the TRHA board, Lydia Peters.
The letter came on the same day of a major protest by TRHA employees calling for the payment of their monthly salary for November, back pay and salary increases.
While no distinct reason was given for his removal, sources told the T&T Guardian that Murphy's contract was terminated due to the differences of opinion between him and the TRHA board.
The memo outlined the new acting arrangements.
It said: “Dr Nathaniel Duke, Medical Chief of Staff (MCOS) has been appointed to act as chief executive officer of the TRHA and Dr Inger Manswell-Myrie, Specialist Medical Officer, Paediatrics, (SMO) has been appointed to act as MCOS of the Scarborough General Hospital until further notice.”
Murphy of Delaford, Tobago, has held the position for only six months. His contract was expected to expire in 2017.
Secretary of Health and Social Services in the THA, Claudia Groome-Duke, could not be reached for comment.
The letter came after operations at the Scarborough General Hospital came to a halt as all categories of employees attached to the authority protested for their salary increases, back pay and the late payment of their wages. The protest was led by PSA president Watson Duke.
Approximately 300 employees dressed in black carried placards, sang, chanted and circled the rotunda of the hospital in full view of patients and visitors.
Duke deemed yesterday as “Maniac Monday” as they believe that the board of the TRHA and the Tobago House of Assembly reneged on promises to pay all outstanding monies by the end of this October and November.
Duke said the workers were no longer prepared to deal with the disrespect meted out them by the TRHA board
Speaking to the media Duke said the workers were no longer prepared to deal with the disrespect meted out to them as the TRHA board was describing their representation as illegal.
A meeting had been scheduled between the PSA, TRHA and Groome-Duke. However it never came off. T&T Guardian tried to contact Groome-Duke for a comment but all attempts were futile.