It’s time to call out the public officers who are not doing any work. When was the last time you heard the CMO (address critical issues).
This statement was made by a former high-ranking public officer as a debate started in the country on the alleged lack of performance by the island’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Shawn Charles to help pilot legislation that can effectively deal with health issues like Covid-19 and Tuberculosis.
The issue came to the fore following the second escape in one week by a patient diagnosed with the contagious TB which resulted in panic among the population.
The former Public Officer accused Dr Charles of not doing anything in helping with legislation to deal with serious health issues after the experience of Covid-19 and the limitations of the Public Health Act to hold persons criminally responsible for helping to spread any deadly disease.
Following the escape of two TB patients from the General Hospital on Monday morning, the Ministry of Health indicated that it was seeking help from the Office of the Attorney-General and the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on legislation to deal with persons who run away into the public domain while receiving treatment for communicable diseases.
The former Public Officer charged that the Public Health Act cannot be used as it is limited to “persons entering the country.”
“This public Health Act was deemed inadequate many moons ago so what is the same CMO (Dr. Shawn Charles) who is familiar with the shortcomings of the Act since COVID – what has he done to address the situation.”
The retired officer labelled the situation involving the two escapees from the General Hospital as “not a hospital problem” but “a CMO problem” in light of allegations that Dr Charles should help the State put legislation in place to address such issues.
Another former public officer who held a high-level job in the Civil Service sees the problem as not solely one to blame the CMO totally for but the failure of the system to put things in place to address the situation.
He said: “If an infectious patient decides to leave the hospital against medical advice before they are cured, the legal and operational responsibility to manage the public health risk transitions to local public health authority and government health department.
“I agree that the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) should assume ultimate responsibility for patient safety, and TB patients leaving the hospital before they are cured.
“However, the accountability must be balanced with systemic support, clear institutional policies, and shared leadership from hospital or government administration. A CMO cannot fix resource shortages, understaffing, or systemic failures alone.
“Administrative boards and CEOs share the duty of providing safe working environments and budgets. The perspective that a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) should take full, singular responsibility often stems from the legal, ethical, and organisational weight placed on their title.
“In high-stakes environments like healthcare or public health, people look for a single point of accountability when things go wrong.
“The CMO holds the highest clinical rank and signs off on medical policies and protocols. Holding a single leader accountable provides transparency and reassures the public that errors have consequences.
“However, the clinical oath to “do no harm” places the moral burden of patient outcomes directly on medical leadership, not just on the CMO.
“CMOs often report to a CEO or Board of Directors who hold final control over budgets, hiring, and resource allocation. Punishing a single leader can mask deep, systemic flaws in an organisation, preventing real safety fixes.
“Modern healthcare relies on interconnected technology, supply chains, and multidisciplinary teams beyond one person’s direct control. It’s time to appoint a statutory body (to run the General Hospital) to ensure that the institution operates safely, legally, and ethically.
“In the context of medical errors and leadership, these bodies act as the independent mechanism that investigates failures, enforces accountability, and protects public interest.
“In so doing focus can be shifted from blaming a single person to identifying and fixing root-cause organisational flaws.
The former high-ranking public sector employee hit back, noting that although the person was supporting the point that the CMO is the final accounting authority but was simply “just making excuses for the CMO” and his failure to ensure that the relevant legislation went to Parliament for approval.
“I suggest that the CMO resign if the situation is that bad because he is collecting pay,” said the ex-public officer who went on to say: “Public officers are always ready with a book full of excuses for why they can’t perform but they are sitting there and taking the pay.
“It says something about them sitting in the middle of something that is rotting but holding their collective nose and collecting the pay. If you cannot help make the situation better as CMO then resign.”
The other retired public officer hit back with the following statement: “Whether the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) should resign is a question of political and public debate rather than a settled legal or consensus-driven fact.
“Ultimately, unless he chooses to step down voluntarily for personal or professional reasons, any forced departure is governed strictly by the PSC based on legal cause, rather than public opinion.
“The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is appointed by the Public Service Commission, acting in accordance with public service regulations and the constitution governing public officers.
“Public Service Commission handles the formal appointment, disciplining, and removal of public officers, which includes the technical head position of the Chief Medical Officer within the Ministry of Health.
“The power to officially remove or discipline the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in Grenada vests in the Public Service Commission (PSC). Because the CMO is a senior public officer rather than a political appointee, the office is protected by strict constitutional guidelines.
“If the PSC hands down a decision to remove the CMO, the officer has the constitutional right to appeal that decision to the Public Services Board of Appeal under Section 88 of the Constitution.
“There needs to be some form of established/known public health guidelines couched in some form of legal codification for those who knowingly/wilfully/maliciously/purposefully infect innocent and/or unsuspecting folks.”