HAVING met with officials from all ten administrative regions, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development yesterday reported that the discussions allowed for a proper understanding of what certain duties entail. Regional Executive Officers (REOs), officials at the ministry, Regional Health Officers (RHOs), and hospital administrators, all participated in the meetings that were described by Permanent Secretary Collin Croal as ‘frank and open’.
“We were able to establish clearly that the REOs are the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the regions,” Croal said, as he explained how the ministry encountered problems, as, some RHOs were under the impression that their line of reporting was to the Ministry of Health.
“So many times, they jump on a plane (to the ministry in the city),and we from the Local Government Ministry are not aware. We were able to establish that the reporting channel is to the REOs. As for administrative movement, logistics, staffing…that has to be channelled through the REOs.
Croal spoke at a press conference at the ministry, Fort Street, Kingston, in the presence of Ministers Ganga Persaud and Norman Whittaker and he pointed to the issue of shortage of drugs in the regions. “And we were able to identify that some of the causes had to do with the bureaucracy in the reporting.”
A third issue, Croal said, was that RHOs felt burdened at having to run the region from an administrative perspective, running the hospitals, and deal with day-to-day issues. “An undertaking was given that there will be steps to ensure that the centralised hospitals will be run by administrators, and the RHOs will be left to do what is required,” Croal said.
In some regions, he noted that steps also need to be taken for the confirmation of appointments of RHOs, as some are acting in their positions and doctors have to be filling in for the substantive RHOs.
Minister Persaud offered that since the initiative was launched to engage officials in the regions, the ministry has had discussions with regions 2, 3 5 and 6. On Monday, he said the ministry will be engaging the officials of Region 4.
According to Persaud, a major focus of the discussions had to do with the Auditor General’s report.
The meetings also served to look at the region’s readiness for budget 2012.
The meetings are also intended to discuss maintenance programmes in the regions. It is not unusual for school buildings not to be properly attended to in time for the new term.

Minister Persaud also said that the ministry will continue to engage other ministries to look at cross-cutting issues.