Staff of the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) went into panic on Wednesday night as a memorandum circulated by the Chief Executive Officer hinted at job and salary cuts.
The memo is titled “seven per cent cutback in 2016” and refers to a request from the Ministry of Health on a directive from the Office of the Prime Minister to review overall expenditure at the various health institutions under the SWRHA.
It mandates managers and supervisors to review the expenditure under their control and identify measures which can be implemented to mete out a seven per cent cut.
The memo, dated January 22, gives managers until today to suggest such measures, “inclusive of salaries and goods and services,” as cost-cutting measures.
It was signed and distributed by the SWRHA CEO, Anil Gosine.
Contacted by the T&T Guardian yesterday, he said personal salaries would not be cut but they were looking to reduce the number of temporary contract employees across the organisation.
“They will be trying to ascertain if these employees’ services are required or necessary at all, at this time.
“In some institutions we have short-term temporary staff who come on for small projects. If these are completed we will not need their services any longer. These employees are given month-to-month or three-month contracts that, depending on the projects, will not be renewed,” he said.
He added: “As long as you are permanent or contracted and your performance appraisal is positive, it means we will continue to have your service.”
Another area being targeted for heavy cutbacks is overtime.
Gosine noted while permanent employees who have good performance appraisals were not at risk of losing their jobs, excessive overtime would be clamped down.
“We are looking at reducing overtime, asking employees and heads of department if it is really necessary. So we are asking managers and supervisors to reduce the overtime expenditure,” he added.
Executive members of the SWRHA will meet later this month to discuss the various suggestions and plans from each of the southern institutions before finalising which cuts will be made.
Gosine said it was important that the many health services did not suffer. “I am not going to reduce services, just trying to have a more efficient service.”
Pharmaceuticals will not take a hit as the CEO assured the cuts would not incorporate a reduction of drugs ordered to supply the SWRHA.
Employees, he added, were working with them and the decision-making was not independent of them.
“We are requesting that those employees who use the various materials, disposables and supplies budgeted for the ministry, to see how it can be used in a more efficient manner,” he added.
