A former hospital employee suffered “humiliation, pain, suffering, and had her dignity trampled upon” when she was transferred in violation of her contract, according to the Office of the Ombudsman.
Charmaine Attard should be reinstated as director of nursing and midwifery at the hospital – a role she was transferred from two-and-a-half years before her contract expired, the Ombudsman’s Commissioner for Health recommended.
Following the Ombudsman’s recommendations, Ms Attard yesterday took her legal battle for reinstatement a step further and filed an application in the First Hall of the Civil Court against the Prime Minister, the Health Minister and the Foundation for Medical Services. She is calling on the court to order her reinstatement at the main hospital and for the authorities to pay damages she suffered.
In a detailed report submitted along with the application, Health Commissioner Charles Messina concluded that the authorities had “acted incorrectly” and, “as of right”, Ms Attard “should ideally be placed in the position she was in before”. If this were not possible, she should be awarded €2,000 in compensation, he said.
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