Region Ten AREOs booted from RHEC

– acting REO says room is too small

As Region Ten explore ways to enhance its fight to combat the rapidly growing number of
infection with regards to COVID, the region’s two Assistant Regional Executive Officers
(AREOs) Lanna Albert and Leola Narine have been unceremoniously booted from the Regional
Health and Emergency Committee (RHEC).
After the recent swearing in of the Regional Chairman, Regional Vice Chairman and Regional
Councillors, the acting REO, Dollette Powers was asked to assemble a new committee.
However, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall had
urged the acting REO to make the committee, inclusive of all stakeholders including religious,
community, among others. This, he had said was geared towards ensuring that there is
widespread involvement and participation of all stakeholders in seeking to eradicate COVID 19.
“The RDC must be reminded that they must play a serious role in containing and secondly
eradicating this malicious disease that has affected every segment of our country,” the Minister
stressed,” Minister Dharamlall had declared.
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While both Albert and Narine were on the newly established RHEC committee, they were both
informed early Thursday morning that they are being removed from the committee. However,
quizzed on the reasons as to why they are being removed abruptly, considering the makeup of
the committee, the acting REO reportedly told them, “The room is small and I need to create
more space.” This explanation is not sitting well with both persons as the current committee is
significantly smaller than the previous 34 members that had formed the original committee.
“There are so much inside and with accurate information coming out from the region, that is
implicating Ms. Powers she may be wondering who is leaking the information. She is not sure
as to who may have leaked the information, so she is running around like a scared cat blaming
and accusing everyone,” a senior employee said.
The employee said that it is of concern that several information and details were released, to take
such action with no consultation with the Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr Gregory Harris.
The employee noted that for the acting REO to not seek proper consultation with the minister is
tantamount to her thinking that all powers lies with her and this certainly does not argue well for
holistic staff relationship and development.
“You just can’t decide willy, nilly that because you are the ‘boss’ that you will remove persons
without consultation and discussions. The AREOs were just called into her office and told of her
decision and we are seeing decisions like these being made every day. There certainly needs to
be a frank and open discussion with the Minister and senior management of the RDC and this
must be done ASAP,” the employee who did not wished to be named said. It was revealed that
the missing documents totals millions of dollars and questions increases as to how these monies
would be accounted for.

Attempts made to contact both Albert and Narine by www.aroundtheregions.com proved futile.
However, calls to the acting REO’s office confirmed that indeed both Albert and Narine are no
longer sitting on the RHEC. Quizzed as to the reason/s why this decision was made, this media
house was told to contact Ms. Powers directly.
Despite numerous attempts to reach out to Ms. Powers on this and other issues have proved
futile. The RHRC is expected to hold its first meeting since being reorganized tomorrow (Friday)
October 9, 2020.