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Dr. Carl Niamatali |
A cloud of suspicion hangs over the man who heads the Grenada Cancer Programme, Dr. Carl Niamatali who is originally from Guyana but lived for a number of years in Ireland.
And there is a strong likelihood that the Ministry of Legal Affairs will be asked to investigate the operations of the doctor and the programme that he spearheaded in the Spice Isle.
Dr. Niamatali who was on a one-year government contract to operate the cancer programme at the General Hospital in St. George's was unmasked for not having the qualifications as an Oncologist.
The Ministry of Health, headed by Minister Karl Hood, and the Minister of State, Ann Peters, summoned the media to a press conference last week Thursday to highlight discrepancies with the national cancer programme that was launched last December.
"Our problem lies on quite a few levels. What we have found as we looked at the programme, and we looked at the personnel involved is that we have had... a specialist on contract in Grenada that actually was not a specialist. In other words, there was no qualification that justified his involvement in a programme like this", said Hood who assumed duties following the July 8 general election.
"Whenever health services are being given to Grenada, are being given to our people, it must be of quality that is good. We must treat people with respect, and we must be able to give them the kind of service that we ourselves would want," he added.
It was disclosed that Dr. Niamatali has no post-graduate qualification and as result, government has decided not to renew his contract which comes to an end on August 31.
Hood announced that apart from not renewing the doctor's contract that any disciplinary action to be taken against him lies with Attorney General, James Bristol.
According to the Health Minister, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government will do everything in its power to ensure that the people of Grenada are provided with the best medical services.
He said the administration is committed to ensuring that all health services provided are of top quality, and to also ensure that the persons providing those services having the necessary qualifications.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Dilip Mukerjee who also addressed the press conference gave details about how his medical counterpart who is not qualified as an Oncologist was exposed.
Dr. Mukerjee said after joining the hospital services in late 2006, he was "ill informed that Dr. Niamatali is a registered medical practitioner." However, he said that from since that time he was constantly bombarded with complaints from people who had been seeking cancer treatment.
"I was getting concerned about it, and then to the extent that it became an official complaint... I say let me go deeper into that and then I asked for documentation. To my surprise there was none. So I asked for all his credentials, his qualifications... to submit to the Medical Registration Board," he said.
According to the CMO, the Board itself was taken by surprise that the person claiming to be an Oncologist had no post graduate qualifications to be an Oncologist.
"Although he (Dr. Niamatali) has some experience working with some renowned Oncologists, that doesn't make somebody (a) specialist, and based on the submission of the documents, the Board registered him as a General Practitioner," the CMO said.
Dr. Mukerjee stated that in order for one to be a specialist, a medical practitioner must have a post graduate qualification with experience in the respective field to provide the quality care.
While performing the task of Specialist Oncologist at the General hospital, the Guyanese doctor was also procuring the drugs used in the cancer programme.
Director of Hospital Services, Terron Gilchrist told reporters that the norm is for all drugs intended for state-run facilities to be procured through the Procurement Department within the Ministry of Health.
"In the case of Dr. Niamatali, he was allowed to procure drugs for the programme and sell to the hospital," he said.
Gilchrist indicated that this matter was raised on numerous occasions, and in an effort to arrest the situation, Dr. Niamatali was informed in January that the Ministry of Health can no longer procure drugs with his name on it as the supplier, while he held the post of Oncologist.
He said as a result of the decision taken, the names of two companies, Farm Med and Alpha Med were used as suppliers. One has an address in the United States while the other is said to be from Guyana.
Gilchrist pointed out that when the drugs arrived on the island, in most instances they had a very short shelf life of approximately two weeks. He admitted that the Niamatali-run cancer programme on the island was not in keeping with standard medical management.
"At the hospital, many of the professionals were very uncomfortable with the modus operandi of the (cancer) programme, and the officer that was charged with the responsibility for leading the programme," he said.
Gilchrist stated that several patients who were in the programme opted out and went to Trinidad because they were uncomfortable and not satisfied with the treatment being received at home.
He gave assurances plans are afoot to change the way the programme operates.
The Guyanese-born Dr. Niamatali reportedly came to Grenada following the passage of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 through Direct Relief International which assisted this country with pharmaceutical and equipment.
In 2005 an arrangement was worked out with the Ministry of Health for Dr. Niamatali to visit Grenada every two months to start an out-patience oncology clinic.
A formal arrangement was reached with him last year through financial assistance provided by telecommunications provider, Digicel.
