The decision not to retain former Mount Carmel CEO Dolores Gauci was a “mistake” and should be revoked, the Opposition spokesman for health said yesterday.
Claudio Grech said that if the government was not ready to go back on its decision it should at least explain the reasons behind it.
His call came in the wake of a story published by this newspaper on Monday that the Health Ministry had terminated Ms Gauci’s employment on the penultimate day of her one-year probation period.
Though she had been initially engaged as CEO of Mount Carmel Hospital, six months into her job she was removed and appointed chief operations officer responsible for community mental health.
The government should explain the reasons behind it
A Health Ministry spokeswoman yesterday told this newspaper that it was felt that the way forward in the mental health sector was to have one administrative leader. “This decision was taken after discussion with the clinical chairperson for mental health and the union.”
Earlier, Mr Grech had expressed disappointment that a person of such calibre and experience like Ms Gauci, who had also served as CEO of the Richmond Foundation, had been sidelined. He made this appeal in a news conference in Guardamangia immediately after meeting the Commissioner for Mental Health, John Cachia, with whom he raised the issue.
Mr Grech said the Mental Health Act stipulated the commissioner had to ensure the best infrastructure was in place to provide a good service. The commissioner promised to follow up the case, he said.
Last September, eyebrows were raised when Labour candidate Clifton Grech, a lawyer with no experience in running a psychiatric hospital, replaced Ms Gauci. His appointment followed the decision to split community services from those in psychiatric institutions.
Mr Grech questioned this decision too, saying it went against the spirit of the Mental Health Act.
The president of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, Paul Pace, shared this view, saying it was causing logistical problems. He said that many “territorial wars” started the moment halfway houses at Mount Carmel Hospital were assigned to the community services. He said the community services had no pool of nurses and so they would have to go through the hospital CEO whenever extra staff were needed.