THE Ministry of Health, on Tuesday, took a decision to remove Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Linden Hospital Complex, Rudy Small, from his post with immediate effect. This development comes following public outcry over the “sweetman” remark he had made in reference to on-duty nurses leaving the facility at nights. He was at the time being interviewed by a reporter. On Thursday, Small was quoted as claiming that some of the night duty nurses at the hospital would often clock in for duty, but then leave the hospital to go out with their “sweetman”, before returning in the morning to clock out.
The statement was met with much backlash from the hospital’s nurses who called the comment false, damaging and disrespectful. Many of them took to social media to express their dissatisfaction. On Monday several nurses staged a protest outside the CEO’s office.

The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) at its press conference on Friday last, had announced that it had written to Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony about the issue. The GPSU described the reported comment as “irresponsible”, “inappropriate”, and “unprofessional”.
“The union wrote Minister of Health asking for him to take appropriate action which we hope will result in the separation of the CEO from the institution,” GPSU President, Patrick Yarde, stated. Yarde made it clear that GPSU is not calling for the CEO to be fired, as the union was not looking to contribute to someone losing his/her job during the pandemic. However, the union wanted him transferred from the hospital.
It was noted that the CEO’s utterances could cause “serious disruptions in families of the healthcare workers, and asserted that it could even possibly contribute to increasing the domestic violence situation facing the country.

His utterances purporting that nurses are engaging in extra-marital affairs is scandalous and exposes himself, his office and agency to significant legal sanctions and litigation. The nurses attached to the Linden Hospital Complex have expressed a loss of all confidence in his ability to effectively carry the functions of his office, a position wholeheartedly shared by the GPSU,” the letter to the minister said.
Small, on Friday last, issued a statement, in which he claimed that irrelevant “salacious commentary” was added to the article which contained the remark.
“The reporter added salacious commentary alleging certain inappropriate behaviour of nurses led to the decision to introduce an electronic timekeeping system. At no time in the formal interview did I ascribe the need for a timekeeping system to be related to the rumoured behaviour of nurses or any other staff,” he said.