Health Minister Cassanni Laville believes that more communication is needed to address issues being confronted by medical officers in Dominica. Laville’s comments came as a group of medical officers reported sick last week causing interruption to some of the services there.
They returned to work on Monday, September 18.
Laville said some of the main issues expressed by these medical officers was that the Accident and Emergency Department had 11 officers assigned, however at the time, they were operating with 5 medical officers due to various issues mostly associated with vacation leave, sick leave, short-term training and temporary reassignment of a medical officer.
The medical officers at the meeting presented the following as a recommendation to address their challenges: to immediately promote medical interns to medical officers after four basic rotations.
He said another recommendation was for a specific medical officer–who has categorically indicated that he wants to continue his reassignment duties at the Marigot Hospital–to return to the A&E Department of the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital, while another suggestion was to consider employment of retired medical officers.
“We clearly understand the situation that we are confronted with, we understand the issues faced by the medical officers and in fact what I believe was the greatest challenge is that we need to communicate more because, over the past year, we have in fact as a ministry and hospital authority been focusing on the environment and the issues that are being confronted by the medical officers,” Laville said while delivering remarks at a press conference held recently.
He continued, “Notwithstanding it would appear that many do not know and this is an area where I firmly believe that we need to improve, because out of their five recommendations, well of course, there were some that were not practical.”
However, Laville pointed out that many of them align with the plans of the government and they were assured that many of the things that they recommended were in fact things that the government has been actively working on to improve their circumstances.
“As a matter of fact, at the end of this month even issues relating to salaries which they did not raise in the meeting, their circumstance will be improved largely for many of them, particularly those who are appointed,” he stated. “And I am understanding that they will in fact receive at least a $900 increase by the end of the month.”
Laville added, “And for others who are on contract the situation will change and the review process is done with the contracts for the next cycle of engagement.”
That is why UWP will continue to remain in the gutter,too many foolish supporters.Casanni Laville is an engineer.Rayburn Blackmore is law.Both are from Mahaut the village Bwa-Banday come from.Everybody know Casanni Laville would be a far better Minister of national security than Blackmore.Casanni is a no nonsense,strict,strait forward man,who does not take BS from anybody.He is not an Akisser.He will be the next Prime Minister.
These UWP aholes are exposing their high level of stupidity everyday.How many people in the history of Dominica,have been Minister of health with a medical degree?Doreen Paul was Minister of health during the reign of UWP,and UWP never as doctor to be Minister of health.Doreen Paul was ok untill UWP placed a hospital user fee on the back of poor people which prevented them from accessing the hospital.Now every dog and cat can go to the hospital.It was not so under UWP.
Dominica you in trouble. there’s no leadership.
When people like Cassani gets into politics for money they will take more blows than old clothes.
Sa kway voh was!!!!
@ Truth Be Told – he mis engineering the Ministry of Health – nou fini bat
this is way out of your league…….u
you’re a civil engineer!
medical doctors held that ministry before you under Skerrit with nothing to boast about
do you want a lollipop?
The Ministry of Health is one of the MOST important ministries in any government. Health is wealth. It is therefore imperative to have the best qualified person as the minister of this portfolio.
The Cabinet of Dominica is a mismatch of ministers and their portfolios.
*Cassanni Laville – engineer in charge of health
*McIntyre – medical doctor in charge of finance
*Melissa Skerrit – in charge of housing. Her only qualification is she is married to the prime minister.
What positive outcomes can we expect from such incongruity in a Cabinet. Abject FAILURE is the only certainty.
You do not know anything about Health and Doctors and the whole health system.
Shame Shame Shame on your government for poor performance. PMH use to be the top hospital with plenty staff and top Doctors. God is watching all the time. One day DA will be free of all of you.
The problems in this scandal plagued country keep multiplying. Ineptness and mismanagement are t two of the multiplicity of problems.
The health sector is severely problematic. Shortage of health personnel; inadequate equipment; lack of medication are but just a few of the mounting problems.
What does this present Minister of Health know about anything related to medical care? He cannot differentiate between a stethoscope and a proctoscope. Giving Cassanni Laville this most important portfolio is a travesty.It’s putting a farmer to work in a nuclear lab.
What a shame to see such a young man in the Roosevelt Skerrit cabal. That’s a young life that’s gone like those young Paros. Shame on you Cassanni Laville
Things are much much worse than I thought. electricity is being rationed, Dr’s missing work, hydro plant pipes busted ….. what a failure on so many levels.
failure to lead. no checks and balances, yall let all the brain out and replace it with yes men. now the mask is off. perverbial hit has hit the fan. look at health minister, good lord.
Dude please explain to me, why are you the Minister of Health?
you are out of place. Are you the PM? or some top official?
I agree that he’s an intelligent man but where is his medical background? It seems like Skerritt has the cart before the horse and as a result, things are upside down in Dominica. For how long will this continue? There was a time when people from other Caribbean islands would be in Dominica for medical help but now it’s the other way around.
Well said, he does not even know. But he sure like to hang out, and have the very long breakfast, lunch, and cocktails at jungle bay, on the tax payers money. If someone check the security video, at jungle bay and compare to the times he has been the the so call hospital.
This guy Cassanni is the quintessential square peg in a round hole. It’s like Dr Mcintyre has passed on a poisoned chalice to him, and Cassanni is in no man’s land. Healthcare on island is the worst it has been since independence 1978. The thing is those clowns in the Skerrit Labour Party (SLP), think a modern hospital is a nicely painted building, but it isn’t. The hospital requires specialists in all fields of medicine, the up to date machines and specialised people to operate and repair them, it must be stocked with a certain amount of drugs and medication, the nurse patient ratio must be manageable, etc,etc…But does the Skerrit Labour Party care? No they don’t….Remember Skerrit pounded his “MEG ZO” chest at Newtown, and told labourites that if he falls sick now, he and his family have health insurance. He asked them what about all you???…Those Labourites started to CLAP and to blow their red trumpet!!! Is there a demon or devil in those red trumpets? 😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄
Roosevelt placing people wherever he chooses whether they are knowledgeable in the field or not. Boy look a Dominica. They are playing with people’s life. A square peg in a round pee pee H-ole.
Completely unqualified for the job. That’s a key part of the government job spec these days. The truth is that the hospital is shocking by international standards, and no doubt the reason why noone from government goes there for treatment.