By Prior Beharry
HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has ordered the reinstatement of Dr Joel Teelucksingh.
This after he was placed on administrative leave following his satirical column in the Trinidad Guardian that poked fun at the “practical opening” of the Central Block of the Port of Spain General Hospital. It was titled “The Emperor’s New Hospital.”
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In his column on Friday, Dr Teeluckingh, who also hosts the Ask the Doctor programme on CNC3, wrote: “It’s a hospital in theory, but not in practice! The Emperor is naked! At those words, the last thread of the illusion unravelled. The Emperor left the grand unveiling in a hurry, his parade of ministers trailing behind, whispering frantic plans for damage control. The people? They returned to their overcrowded wards, their exhausted clinics and their endless waiting lists. Because they had seen this play before. And in that moment, a new thought began to take root—not a whisper, but a demand: Next time, we want more than a ribbon. Next time, we want more than a speech.Next time, we want a hospital that actually heals.”
Dr Teelucksingh, who is a consultant in internal medicine, endocrinology and diabetes at the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA), was sent on administrative leave.
But on Sunday, Deyalsingh issued a release saying that he had directed Dr Teelucksingh to be reinstated while an investigation is taking place.
“I note that Dr Joel Teelucksingh has been sent on administrative leave by the South West Regional Health Authority.
Whilst I find his opinions and writings sometimes controversial, I am a firm believer in free speech even at my own personal expense.
In that belief, I have directed that Dr. Teelucksingh be immediately reinstated and the investigation be conducted whilst he is on the job.
