UHWI chairman confirms resignations of senior officers

Sterling Soares, chairman of the board of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), has confirmed the receipt of resignation letters from both Chief Executive Officer Dr Cecil White and Medical Chief of Staff Professor Trevor McCartney.

The Gleaner yesterday reported that White was the first casualty from the deaths of 18 babies at the UHWI and the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James from infections caused by outbreaks of the klebsiella and serratia bacteria and that another resignation was expected yesterday. Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson said in Parliament yesterday that 19 babies have died.

Soares told The Gleaner yesterday that White's resignation would not take effect until next year.

"I received both letters yesterday (Monday) and none of them gave me a reason, they were both one-line letters of resignation. Professor McCartney's resignation takes effect October 31 and Dr White's takes effect January 31, 2016," he said.

He continued, "Dr McCartney's contract had expired from July and he was there on a month-to-month basis. However, as I said, he did not give a specific reason; neither did Dr White."

When The Gleaner contacted McCartney, he declined to comment on the issue. Efforts to reach White were unsuccessful.