Dr Duane Sands
By Sancheska Dorsett
Tribune Staff Reporter
sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
THE former Christie administration left more than $25m in unpaid bills for medical equipment, rent, drugs and salaries at the Ministry of Health and the Public Hospital’s Authority, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands claimed yesterday.
During the budget debate in the House of Assembly, Dr Sands said despite owing millions of dollars in salaries and commitments, weeks before the general election the former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government entered into $9,756,006.64 worth of security contracts, janitorial contracts, generator purchases and other miscellaneous items “to people who may be considered the party faithful.”
Dr Sands also claimed that despite a plea from the managing director of the PHA for just under a million dollars to repair the major hospitals in the healthcare system, the money was never made available, resulting in 67 crucial beds “being taken out of commission”.
“On arriving at the Ministry of Health shortly after May 10, what I discovered was distressing,” Dr Sands said.
“There were fiscal decisions made that had a decidedly negative impact on the ability of the public health institutions to provide care for patients. There were professionals working for my ministry that had not been paid for years. I found that we owe vendors for drugs, vaccines and medical supplies. As we approached the end of the year, the suppliers of drugs and vaccines were owed by the PHA $2,896,714. We owed an additional $2,170,937 for medical and surgical supplies,” Dr Sands said.
“In addition, PHA had $9,314,629.48 of outstanding commitments. Included in that amount, Mr Speaker, was roughly $5m promised by the Ministry of Finance to recruit nurses and other health professionals to staff the Critical Care Block. That money which was promised by Finance was never paid. The extra money to pay interns, promised but never paid. We now have Critical Care beds in the Critical Care Block that cannot be filled because of lack of staff. The bills for patients needing and receiving dialysis, radiation therapy were in arrears.
“Let me recap, Mr Speaker. We have a short fall in recurrent expenditure at the PHA of almost $16.5m which was needed for medicines, dialysis, vaccines and other ongoing costs...
“Additionally, what I found was that projects on the Children’s Ward, Male Surgical Ward, and Chest Ward at the Princess Margaret Hospital were stopped midstream, paralysing the heart and soul of our healthcare system because of a lack of funds,
“Sixty-seven beds out of 400 beds at PMH had been taken out of service, beds that were needed for sick patients, patients that had to wait in the Emergency Room for days for a bed. . . because construction and renovation had been stopped on three wards in Princess Margaret Hospital.”
He said in total, he found that $16,426,156 was owed.
He added: “I wish that was the end of the story. I got another accounting of the Ministry of Health’s unpaid bills, that was another $9 million.
“The nurses serving on the Nursing Council, not paid for years. The Health Professions Council not paid for as much as five years owed $228,000.
“Rent for clinic staff in various islands not paid. In Palmetto Point, Rock Sound, and Gregory Town the rent not paid. In Red Bays and Bowen Sound the rent not paid. Mangrove Cay, rent not paid.”
“We dig deeper, Mr Speaker, and we find that NHI had unpaid bills of $799,116 for customer service reps and $1,305,000 for two consultant firms who were costing the Bahamian people as much as $500,000 a month and $250,000 per month respectively.”
Dr Sands said rather than pay “mothers, fathers and grandmothers” the money they are owed, the PLP government, found the money to award “$90m dollars” of lucrative contracts to people who might be considered “the party faithful.”
The reason given, he said, was because the country’s clinics had to be upgraded to meet National Health Insurance standards.
“The Cabinet directed that $9,778,304.86 be paid as a down payment for new contracts for health projects throughout the Bahamas. This was conveyed by the Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister Creswell Sturrup to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health on April 27, 2017,” Dr Sands said, adding that he would table this letter.
“So even though the treasury could not pay millions and millions of obligations affecting thousands of ordinary Bahamians – many of whom were suffering extreme financial hardship because of the government’s delayed payments, they were authorised, they were directed, Mr Speaker, to make what some would call a political down payment. In addition, Mr Speaker, the side opposite entered into $9,756,006.64 worth of security contracts, janitorial contracts, generator purchases and other miscellaneous items weeks before the general election,” Dr Sands said.
“We have contracts here, monthly cleaning services for the Exuma mini-hospital—$424,638.84. Monthly cleaning Abaco clinic—the Abaco clinic has not been opened Mr Speaker—$500,000. Monthly landscaping services $26,000,” he also revealed.
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 4 months ago
Why doesn't Sands just stop all of his whining and tell us what he's doing (or intends to do) to determine which contracts are fraudulent in nature either because of 'padding' or little or no value received or to be received by the Bahamian people?!
DDK 7 years, 4 months ago
Dr. Sands was not whining in his well-delivered address. He was apprising The People of initial findings of investigations into the Ministry of Health to date. Surely you do not want him to tip his hand to the alleged perpetrators.
TalRussell 7 years, 4 months ago
Comrade DDK, let me put this all together for you see the light okay. Dr. Duane comes with flashbacks from the time he showed his hand when he tried to Clone Long Island's former MP "Rehease" to unseat Minnis, as the Red Party's leader. Got it?
TalRussell 7 years, 4 months ago
Comrades! ... It would be sadly disappointing if the severe accusations of corruption being leveled against members of the former PLP government prove to be credible and correct. There is at minimum - lots serious questions requiring truthful answers by both members the former PLP cabinet - and the businesses involved?
It's important that we remember that corrupt governments require serious shared finger pointing at the business community as the main beneficiaries of government corruption.
I pray the current governing administration will respond in a timely manner to the seriousness of what they're alleging - and not treat this as some kind political football game to be played out over their 5year governing mandate.
sealice 7 years, 4 months ago
since when has the Truth and the PLP had anything in common?
TalRussell 7 years, 4 months ago
Comrade Sealice, o ye reds, of little faith - that the former PLP cabinet are so incapable of subscribing to a Truth Reconciliation Commission?
Alex_Charles 7 years, 4 months ago
Jokes
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
Did anyone digest what DocSands said about Brave's MOH contracts in Cat Island????? ......... All $14 million of them????? .......... Plus $10 million in schools????????? ......... and then what about the seawalls???????? ............ Who got all of these contracts??????? ........... What have they built with all of this public money?????? .......... Who will account for this waste????
The_Oracle 7 years, 4 months ago
So easy to say "the Government is corrupt" or "the private sector is robbing us" or "Foreigners taking our land." These blanket statements and scapegoats allow the individuals that do these things against the general population, the treasury etc to get away clean! It is high time to call names, prosecute and Jail offenders. Strip their assets as casually as they stripped the treasury, and I mean PLP and FNM alike. There is nothing wrong with our laws, procedures, save them being ignored and not followed! I hear a couple newly Minted Cabinet Ministers are already riding high in the saddle, that better get terminated quick! re-print the civil service rules etc, cabinet rules etc, get some remedial teachers involved if they are "hard to learn" This is your last chance to set things in order. Waste no time money or effort.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
This is progressive advice ........ Kudos!!!!!!!!!!!
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 4 months ago
"I hear a couple newly Minted Cabinet Ministers are already riding high in the saddle"
Who, Dr Minnis needs to know, he says he's not going to tolerate that behavior
birdiestrachan 7 years, 4 months ago
Doc Sands just you go ahead and pay those bills you are the Government. If the PLP had won they**would have to pay. you are just talking in the hope that you will look good. stop the complaints and do you job.
BahamaPundit 7 years, 4 months ago
What I find hard to believe is that Brave Davis actually challenged Dr. Sands to table the election contracts as though they didn't exist. What kind of man would act like someone is lying when he knows they are telling the truth and that the truth is readily available!!!!! I've experienced the PLP's shameless disregard for Bahamian intelligence, but this Davis move takes the cake.
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 4 months ago
Dear Dr Sands please appoint a full time person to look after the needs of your constituency. Your hands will be full at Health but you're only there because of the people of Elizabeth. So pay attention to them. This person will be responsible for making sure regular operational stuff is done in the community, garbage collection, pot holes, drain cleaning, street lights, hurricane preparation etc etc. Prepare a thorough "Constituency Maintenance" Plan with them. this person will be available to your constituents on a regular basis, for yourself, make time in your schedule to meet with them periodically.
Organize your list of area initiatives and along with the constituents select the 5-10 priority items that you will work on each calendar year. This will be a list of achievable things, no pie in the sky. The people should be aware of timelines for each initiative and any risks to completion. You may find that different pockets in the community have different priorities, so plan for that when you determine what is achievable. Establish a mechanism for feedback for your constituents. A lot of persons use what's app but I find it can be chaotic and "untrackable". Use it for short term questions and answers, but establish another appropriate tracking mechanism. You can also give them five year initiatives so they have a view what the constituency is working toward..again this list should be achievable in five years.
Your constituents don't necessarily need to see you, they just need to know what's planned and that things are getting done.
Good luck Dr Sands!! So far so good.
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