Linden Hospital CEO in hot water for firing 27 staff

Apr 23, 2022 News

– Decision rescinded by Health Ministry

Kaieteur News – Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) Rudolph Small is making headlines again for terminating the services of 27 low level staff. In a correspondence to the staff, Small informed them that their contracts will not be renewed. “I write to inform you that after careful consideration, the management has decided that your service would no longer be required with effect from 1st June, 2022,” it said.

Linden Hospital Complex CEO, Rudolph Small

The letter was sent to cleaners, porters and kitchen staff. Immediately after the decision went viral, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony said, “When the Ministry learned about it, we reached out to the CEO and asked him to rescind the letters, so as of last night, all those letters should’ve been rescinded so nobody is going home, so I just want to make sure that people understand that. We’ll expect that the contracts for all those persons will be renewed and would be renewed for the usual duration.”
Regional Officials however are adamant that the decision to rescind is not enough and demanded that Small be removed from the position. Regional Chairman Deron Adams in this regard said, “I was made to understand that the termination has been rescinded but that is not enough; we will be protesting, we are sending a strong message that this time around this must not happen. Small does not have the interest of the residents of Region 10 at heart, staff continue to complain.”
Adams is also calling on Small to fill the scores of vacancies at the hospital as well. “Positions in the stores department, for drivers, kitchen staff, maintenance personnel such as plumbers and office staff are all vacant, with Rudy Small refusing to fill these vacancies and keeping Lindeners from the opportunity for employment in these areas…”
Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira was also disappointed with Small’s behaviour which he described as “wicked and uncalled for.”
Mere months after Small was appointed, scores of employees from the St John’s Ambulance Brigade lost employment after the organization’s long standing contract with the hospital was terminated. Several other long standing contractors also lost their contracts with LHC. Subsequently, nurses had staged weeks of protest for Small’s removal in response to degrading comments he had made about them to the media.