Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

The South East Regional Health Authority has interdicted Dr Dennis Pyne, a consultant vascular thoracic surgeon at the National Chest Hospital, effective Monday, pending a full investigation.

Pyne who has been registered with the Medical Council of Jamaica since August 8, 1971, has been at the centre of controversy since some doctors complained that the senior surgeon was charging patients for services at the public-health institution, even though the ministry had abolished user fees since April 1.

Doctors also expressed concern about the level of treatment meted out to some patients who, they said, were forced to pay for their surgical procedures.

A release from the Ministry of Health yesterday said, "Minister of Health and Environment, Rudyard Spencer has established a committee of inquiry in light of the complaints and allegations received."

Terms of reference

The inquiry is to review the operations of the National Chest Hospital and provide recom-mendations to ensure that service delivery meets the required standards. The terms of reference of the committee includes a review of the processes governing care, complaints and allegations against the specific medical practitioner and procedures for determining the status of patients hospitalised.

Following an emergency meeting on Wednesday involving Pyne and health officials, Health Minister Rudyard Spencer announced that the senior medical officer at the National Chest Hospital, Dr Mikael Tulloch-Reid, who is currently on leave, was not seeking to have his contract renewed.

Senior medical officer at the Kingston Public Hospital, Dr Patrick Bhoorasingh, is to assume responsibility for the operations at the institution. In addition, Spencer said the ministry was considering a request for early retirement by Hazel Waite, the chief executive officer at the chest hospital.

Regarding complaints about the use of hospital equipment for private use, Pyne, the hospital's chief executive officer and the executive of the South East Regional Health Authority, are to determine by way of invoices the ownership of the devices.

The committee, which will be chaired by attorney-at-law Charles Piper, will provide a report to Spencer by August 12.