Hon. Fraser raises concerns over Bishop Cline’s appointment
Bishop Cline replaces Attorney and former Financial Secretary Glenroy Forbes and his appointment is from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013.
According to Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser RA, the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA), along with its components, is a socialist institution planted into a capitalist state and he has difficulty with the BVIHSA been looked upon as a business since one of the main reasons given for his appointment was him being business savvy.
He noted that everyone in the Territory is entitled to the best health services, whether they have money or not and that anyone who is in charge of the facility has to convince the people that such is the core understanding. “And if we look at the health services, Madam Speaker, as a drain on our resources then the pressure would come to bear on the chairman of this Board to do something about it, in other words Madam Speaker, to make it profitable. I am afraid Madam Speaker that in so doing it jeopardises the health of our citizens.”
At this point, Hon. Fraser also suggested that the system should be changed in the House of Assembly to allow persons who are appointed to certain positions and departments to be able to come before the Committee to say what are their “philosophies, mentality, what are their thoughts and you can share with them what you expect....You have to let people know what you expect when they are in these positions”.
The 3rd District representative added he was not satisfied with the services of the BVIHSA as he receives numerous complaints from persons about the service and that is why he wanted to know how the new Chairman intends to deal with such issues.
Conflict of interest
Another concern raised by Honourable Fraser was that he believed Bishop Cline would be faced with a conflict of interest as Chairman of the BVIHSA. The opposition member was referring to the incident in October 2011 when the body of an infant went missing after the mother gave birth on October 9, 2011 but only to learn that the female baby died two hours later as a result of complications, however, when a Pathologist arrived in the Territory on October 12, 2011 to conduct a post mortem, the body of the infant could not be found at the morgue. After several days of searching, the couple was informed on Sunday, October 16 by hospital officials that the baby might have been cremated by accident. It is alleged that when the parents asked for the ashes they were informed that the hospital did not have it because it may have been thrown away. Bishop Cline was very outspoken about the incident.
“It is a blunder of huge proportions but why I am saying that there is conflict of interest here is that the candidate advocated on behalf of the parents, which I thought was laudable and to be commended. The conflict comes in now Madam Speaker, if you advocate on behalf of the parents and you are now going to be the Chairman of this institution that if considered liable for whatever took place at the hospital, how do you reconcile this Madam Speaker? Are you now dropping your advocacy for the parents of the child that went missing in favour of the hospital or are you going to decline this nomination?”
Even before Bishop Cline was appointed by Cabinet, a source had informed this news agency that Leader of the Opposition Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal OBE, had registered his objections to the recommendation. Under the BVI Health Services Act, the Leader of the Opposition must be consulted on the appointment of the Chairman of the Board, but does not have a veto on government’s decision as to the appointment.
Bishop John I. Cline, who pastors the New Life Baptist Church in Duff Bottom on Tortola, was a loud critic of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government of former Premier Ralph T. O’Neal OBE, and also levied most of his harshest political rhetoric against former Communications and Works Minister Honourable Julian Fraser RA.
He campaigned vigorously for many of the NDP candidates including Claude Skelton-Cline who ran against political stalwart Honourable J. Alvin Christopher for the second district seat and Kevin Smith who was defeated by 3rd district representative Honourable Julian Fraser RA.Cline also appeared on many talk shows, both on radio and TV, lashing out at the VIP Government policies including the Biwater project that was signed by the O’Neal Administration to remedy the water and sewerage woes on Tortola. He is also one of the religious leaders asked from time to time to give the opening prayer for the starting of the Virgin Islands (VI) Parliament sittings.
The BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) through its Board is responsible for developing and marketing the local health services while at the same time encouraging involvement with the community that will serve the best interests of both the Authority and the VI community. The Authority is also responsible for all the public health facilities in the VI.
The BVI Health Services Authority was established under the BVI Health Services Authority Act, 2004. Its functions include the recruitment, appointment, training, promotion and disciplining, along with the power to suspend and terminate employment of staff members.
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