Did Popondetta Hospital’s CEO get a fair hearing under the law?

HEALTH secretary Pascoe Kase, I commend your response that appeared on page 7 of The National about the disruption and turmoil caused by the suspension of Popondetta Hospital chief executive Dr Gunzee Gawin.
The events of Dec 3 was second time this was happening.
While commending your office, there are also some questions that need to be answered.
Did the Popondetta Hospital board give Dr Gawin the opportunity to respond to these allegations? Did the board follow the provisions of the general orders? Did the board inform DPM before executing its decision?
While the board has its powers, it too must answer to a higher authority and the question therefore is whether the board discussed its decision with that higher power before executing it.
Administrative wrongs can be administratively corrected?
Has Dr Gawin stolen any money from this hospital that warrants the decision made by the board?
What happened to the first suspension in March 2018, and the deliberations related to that? Does this suspension relate to that or is this a new suspension?
The board decisions should be guided by the 1994 Public Hospitals Act.
Did the board apply section 24 of that Act to its decision?
Our democracy gives the right to the defendant to defend himself or herself before a decision is made. Was that done?
The National Doctors’ Association strongly believes that Dr Gunzee is not CEO-position hungry, but he should defend himself.
As Dr Gawin is a senior hospital administrator, his rights to proper disciplinary processes and his right to be heard should be respected.
Right now, a specialist doctor is locked up in the police cell in Popondetta.
While this is happening, doctors in Popondetta Hospital are in the process of leaving to other hospitals in the country.
Nursing staff, too, will follow.
The lives of hospital staff are important, especially when mobs can intrude into the hospital.
Popondetta Hospital is one of the best-performing hospitals in the country, but that may not be the case for long if this issue is not dealt with quickly.
The National Doctors’ Association (NDA) will fully support any decision made by the local NDA branch in Popondetta Hospital.
Dr Gunzee Gawin is a member of NDA.
The association will assist Dr Gawin so that his defence is heard. He might take leave but right cannot be taken as wrong, and wrong must not be taken as right.
The truth must come out.

Dr James Naipao
NDA, National President