IT IS quite interesting that President Bharrat Jagdeo has considered it necessary to order a “comprehensive” report into the circumstances of the death of Minister Dr Desrey Fox. He has also promised to “say more” after receiving the requested report.

As Head of State and Head of Government, and given his own wide experiences in governance of this country since 1992, President Jagdeo has every right to order the probe into Dr Fox’s death to determine whether “negligence” was indeed a contributing factor as has been alleged, for example, by the leadership of the opposition PNCR. 

The President was out of Guyana on official business when this newspaper published its editorial last Sunday, titled, ‘Politicking of PNCR on Dr. Fox’s Death’.

Our editorial was based primarily on the tenuous claim from the PNCR’s leader, Robert Corbin, and a reasonably detailed statement from Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy.

The Minister’s statement firmly rejected any question of “negligence”, as alleged, on the part of the GPHC’s professional staff who had dealt with Dr Fox as a patient following the serious injuries she suffered in a three-vehicle accident in the city on December 8.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Health was to report it had carried out its own “clinical audit,” which was presented to the Board of the GPHC.

There was also the reporting on confirmation by the pathologist who did the post mortem on Dr fox that there was “no evidence” to suggest “negligence” as a contributing factor in the Minister’s passing. 

However, at his press briefing last week on his return from the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, President Jagdeo  said that his initial inquiry into the case of Dr Fox’s passing pointed to “an oral presentation” made to the Minister of Health. 

He said he was not satisfied with the explanations he had received and, consequently, requested a written “comprehensive report” on which an assessment would be made for a further public statement by the government. 

It is reasonable for this newspaper to presume that there would have been a discussion between President Jagdeo and his Health Minister, Dr Ramsammy, prior to the public call for a probe by the Head of State. 

In the circumstances, this newspaper is now also anxiously awaiting the promised “further statement” by the President after receiving, and carefully assessed, the “comprehensive” written report he has requested.