The Public Service Commission Chairman Martin Mahe has clarified that two Health Directors recently transferred to hospitals in Luganville and Tanna have not been demoted.
According to Mr Mahe, the Health Directors were instructed to take temporary transfers as Medical Superintendents for six months.
The public servants have been transferred respectively to the Northern provincial Hospital in Luganville, Santo and Lenakel hospital in Tanna island.
The two concerned are Director of Public Health Department, Len Tarivonda, and Director of Corporate Services, Policy and Planning of the Ministry of Health (MOH), Dr. Posikai Samuel Tapo.
“The main objective of their transfers is to assess the level of services currently being delivered at the provincial hospitals and to develop plans for strategic planning to ensure hospitals are suitable resourced year after year.
“PSC has witnessed ongoing issues affecting the provincial hospitals that have not been fully resolved.”
Mr Mahe said the changes aim to strengthen the health executive level in terms of proper planning, management and policy direction.
He also said that PSC is currently recruiting for the superintendent positions of all provincial hospitals, including Vila Central Hospital (VCH), and these temporary transfers are also strategic in that when the new superintended are recruited, they can get straight to work to implement the improvement plans as identified by the two Directors.
Photo supplied Caption: Chairman of PSC Martin Mahe