Linden nurses Up the ante Move protest To Minister’s office

PLACARD-BEARING, SLOGAN CHANTING MINISTRY OF HEALTH EMPLOYEES
from four of the country’s 10 Administrative Regions upped the ante this week in their sustained
protest to rid Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) of defiant Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) Rudy
Small.
Small in a taped interview with www.aroundtheeregions.com accused the LHC night-duty nurses
of elevating their libido above the healthcare needs of patients by their clandestine escapes for
off campus rendezvous with their lovers.
Small’s libidinous comments shocked and outraged LHC nurses and their colleagues in other
Regions and workers’ representative, Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU). The two sides have
called ever since the news became public for Small’s removal.
Ministry of Health (MoH) Permanent Secretary, Mr. Malcolm Watkins via a correspondence
removed Small and CEO from the health institution, by his Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony,
reversed his decision less than 24-hours after.
Anthony has been characteristically silent.

The jubilant Small returned to the institution and seemingly mocked outraged, protesting
employees by greeting them with a triumphal wave and beaming grin.
This week they chanted slogans and waved placards in front of the MoH Lot 1, Brickdam,
headquarters in the capital city, Georgetown, reiterating their demands for Small’s removal.
This time, colleagues from Regions Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara); Georgetown,
(Demerara/Mahaica) in Region Four and Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) joined them in solidarity
to press the Irfaan Ali government to move the defiant Small like they did following similar

transgressions at Leonora Hospital (Region Three) and Diamond Diagnostic Centre (DDC) in
Region Four.
Several of the protesting healthcare workers told www.aroundtheregions.com since Small
launched his poisonous, verbal missiles about them, they are facing constant abusive language
and mental abuse from the general public and their now-skeptical and highly suspicious spouses.
Ever since Small was appointed CEO at the health institution in the impoverished bauxite-
mining municipality, he has been a persistent adversary, nurses said.
“This man is here for just about four months and the major challenges that we have had thus far
is appalling. It is our determination to ensure that he is removed as we are fully aware that
because of his spiteful, vindictive and revengeful attitude that he may seek to find (additional)
ways to penalise us,” a concerned LHC nurse recalled.
Small’s loose lips have created reverberations far and wide which can keep echoing way into the
future, a nurse warned.
“It may not be now or next year, but it may be after. Persons will use his statement as an excuse
and justification (for abuse) against a woman or women. He should have been wiser to know
that he is sowing the seeds of discord. One must ask one’s self, which responsible leader will
make such statement knowing very well that our country has been seeing an increase of violence
against women?” she asked rhetorically.
Meanwhile, another nurse said Small wasted the opportunity to redeem himself with a sincere
apology. She and her colleagues were prepared to forgive his transgression and move on. But
when he doubled down adding flagrant lies and ever-changing scripts to his sensuous
accusations, his fate was sealed.
“When we first met with the CEO, I think there were many nurses like myself that just wanted a
sincere, honest apology and to see how we could have ended things. But he lied and has kept
lying as his story has changed several times. When he was confronted by the recording, he opted
to go silent, which demonstrates his true character. This is a man who is not genuine about his

apologies and we, nurses, recognised it, that is why we will not settle for anything less but him
being removed and we are confident that he will be removed,” the nurse said.