Challenging the health process, fixing the hurts in St Vincent and the Grenadines (TEACHING NOTES) 2006-58.3

When Mrs Verlene Saunders, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, opened the memo on 26 November 2006, she was dumbfounded. Nothing in her outstanding public service career had surprised her more than the note indicating that the Cabinet had decided to proceed with health sector reform by January 2005, and within three months, required a plan of action. Milton Cato Memorial Hospital was to be organised as a quasi-commercial operation, run by a separate Hospital Authority, as a first step in the reform process. As Mrs Saunders contemplated her options, she pondered on the many issues that must be addressed. She was given three months to plan the transformation. This would be the first stage in a comprehensive health system reform process. Among the most pressing issues were conflicts between the public and private uses of the hospital, and the problems of attracting and retaining specialist staff.

The Teaching notes provide learning objectives which include change management, and real life human resource considerations. They are designed to ensure the students have a full understanding of issues, and also provide a reading list to assist with Case Theory.