Administrator of Hospital Services, Terron Gilchrist, will soon be taking up a lucrative contract with the Trinidad and Tobago Hospital Services.
Informed sources told GRENADA TODAY that the senior public officer will demit his position at the end of the month to take up his new posting in the twin-island Republic.
Gilchrist was recently castigated by some members of the public for allegedly withholding information pertaining to controversial, Guyanese Oncologist, Dr Carl Niamatali whose services were not retained by the new administration in St. George's.
Gilchrist confirmed to GRENADA TODAY that he is presently on four months vacation but will not be returning to the job at the St. George's General Hospital.
He said that he is retiring from government employment after giving 27 years in the service to fulfil his plan of retiring at a young age. He brushed aside suggestions that he might have been pressured into calling it a day based on the timing of the retirement on the heels of the Niamatali issue.
The Oncologist was not given a new contract after it was discovered that he was not a Cancer Specialist. According to Gilchrist, he is not surprised that some people will speculate and try to link his retirement to the decision taken by the powers-that-be not to renew Dr. Niamitali's contract.
He said the decision taken to quit at this time was based purely on personal reasons. He spoke of receiving an offer from the Trinidad and Tobago government which he could not refuse and will take up his new position at the beginning of October.
Gilchrist noted that the health system in the twin island republic is far more advanced than Grenada's and as such he can take full advantage of the wealth of knowledge to be acquired.
In addition, he said that another reason which influenced his decision to leave at this point in time is the fact that some people have been labelling him as a "surrogate" of the new administration. He added that it might be in his best interest "not to be there" at the hospital.
Gilchrist was also accused at one time of being close to the old regime of Keith Mitchell's New National Party (NNP) which lost power on July 8.
During the just-ended elections, he is known to have campaigned closely with Health Minister, Karl Hood who toppled Deputy Prime Minister, Gregory Bowen in the battle for the St. George South-east Constituency.
NDC insiders also confided in this newspaper that the ex-hospital Administrator had also expressed an interest in running for the party against Bowen.
Gilchrist said that he will be back in his homeland within one year but has no intention of re-joining the service since he plans to enjoy his retirement.
