Cabinet approved Bishop Cline to chair BVIHSA Board
The appointment now heads to the House of Assembly for final approval as Cline will replace Attorney and former Financial Secretary Glenroy Forbes.
However, according to the same source, the Leader of the Opposition Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal OBE, had registered his objections to the recommendation. Under the BVI Health Services Act, the Leader of the Opposition must be consulted on the appointment of the Chairman of the Board, but does not have a veto on government’s decision as to the appointment.
Bishop John I. Cline, who pastors the New Life Baptist Church in Duff Bottom on Tortola, was a loud critic of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government of former Premier Ralph T. O’Neal OBE, and also levied most of his harshest political rhetoric against former Communications and Works Minister Honourable Julian Fraser RA.
He campaigned vigorously for many of the NDP candidates including Claude Skelton-Cline who ran against political stalwart Honourable J. Alvin Christopher for the second district seat and Kevin Smith who was defeated by 3rd district representative Honourable Julian Fraser RA.
Cline also appeared on many talk shows, both on radio and TV, lashing out at the VIP Government policies including the Biwater project that was signed by the O’Neal Administration to remedy the water and sewerage woes on Tortola. He is also one of the religious leaders asked from time to time to give the opening prayer for the starting of the Virgin Islands (VI) Parliament sittings.
Virgin Islands News Online sources inside the Smith Administration has also told this news site that allegedly, as a result of that objection by the Opposition Leader, the Cabinet Paper advanced by Health Minister Ronnie W. Skelton may have been deferred, but returned to the agenda for last Thursday’s January 19, meeting and was approved by all members.
The BVI Health Services Authority (BHSA) through its Board is responsible for developing and marketing the local health services while at the same time encouraging involvement with the community that will serve the best interests of both the Authority and the VI community. The Authority is also responsible for all the public health facilities in the VI.
Last year, the BVIHSA came under fire after a baby, who was allegedly born dead, was cremated without the permission of the parents. The Board later admitted that this occurred because the body was accidentally removed from the morgue and cremated due to a procedural error. It also was in the spot light after the former Health Minister Dancia Penn QC directed that the Financial Comptroller Ursula Wilson a Trinidadian national on contract be fired, but the Chairman Glenroy Forbes delayed carrying out those instructions.
The BVI Health Services Authority was established under the BVI Health Services Authority Act, 2004. Its functions include the recruitment, appointment, training, promotion and disciplining, along with the power to suspend and terminate employment of staff members.
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