ASSISTANT Medical Chief of Staff at the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA), Helmer Hilwig, has refuted claims that he has not been performing to the best of his ability in his newly-appointed post.

Questions arose when the doctor was promoted on December 1, 2005.

Some employees complained bitterly that he was not fit for the job.

They further alleged that he works part-time as a British Petroleum (bpTT) Amoco Emergency Response Officer and was heavily involved in theatre production.

Hilwig confirmed that he was involved in theatre arts in Trinidad.

He said: “I was the director of the Jesus Christ presentation at Queen’s Hall over the Easter weekend.

“Most doctors go to their private practice after work hours, but I do not.

“I go to the theatre; I find it very relaxing.”

In a memorandum sent out to the staffers who operate at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Hilwig defended his appointment as Assistant Medical Chief of Staff, stating: “… It was pointed out that in this Hospital, with its ever-expanding services, the Office of the Medical Chief of Staff is in fact a full-time job.

“However, as every Medical Chief of Staff in Trinidad and Tobago is normally a Consultant who also has Clinical responsibilities for his/her own Unit and Private Practice, it was found necessary to strengthen the Office of the Medical Chief of Staff with an Assistant.”

Dr. Rowland Moze is the Medical Chief of Staff.

Hilwig’s functions are listed as assisting the Medical Chief of Staff in the day-to-day running of the hospital, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, assisting in identified Special Projects and assisting the Acting Medical Chief of Staff in the absence of Dr. Moze, in the day-to-day running of the hospital, especially to assure continuity.

He stated in his letter that he helped with a number of Special Projects “over the past few weeks” in close collaboration with the Medical Chief of Staff.

Some of these included the ADA training programme, the Adult Priority Care Facility, Plaster Technicians Programme, ICU policy, ICU expansion, bed occupancy rates, pharmaceuticals after hours, quality control meetings, Rain Mission Projects, Oncology services and so on.

One concerned worker, however, claimed that most of the programmes were not implemented.

He said the Adult Priority Care Facility is “in a mess” because Hilwig was put in charge of it.

But when contacted, Hilwig said he did not think so.

He reiterated: “The Office of the Medical Chief of Staff is a 24 hours a day, seven days a week job.

“And the portfolio of Dr. Moze as Chief of Staff is very enormous.

“You cannot expect a doctor or a professional to give up his whole profession.”

He argued that every Medical Chief of Staff should have an assistant.

“It is an enormous job,” he continued.

“I think I am suitable for the job. I have the experience needed for the post, and Mr. Moze and I work properly together.

“I have been working 12 years in Mount Hope; I have been here since the days when there used to be only five cars in the carpark.

“I was the co-ordinator when they were moving the Paediatric Unit from Port of Spain (General Hospital) to Mount Hope.”

He insisted that Moze and himself “are not part of any political scheme”.

Hilwig said he was only the Assistant and when the Chief of Medical Staff goes on leave he would not be the one to fill the empty seat but other qualified persons would be asked to, while he assists in other daily functions.

Pressed further about the list of sample projects he sent out in the memo, which he stated he was “engaged over the past few weeks”, he said it was a list of projects that are ongoing.

“Our hospital is far from ideal,” he continued.

“I do the groundwork and preparatory work.

“It is then up to the Chief of Staff, CEO or minister to implement it.

“I have the expertise to do the groundwork.”

He said there was a tremendous increase in patients visiting the hospital.

“We used to have 25-30 patients a day; now it is something like 60 patients and on peak days we see 300 patients,” he revealed.

“I am in full support of the minister’s (John Rahael) recommendation to establish smaller regional hospitals because it would take some of the pressure off Arima, Mount Hope and other institutions.”

He reiterated that he was only an assistant and not the deputy.

“It is the same way a secretary is an assistant to the principal of the school, but not the vice-principal,” he explained.