Dr Fenton Ferguson adds more layers to an already “over-layered” system.

In classic PNP way of dealing with issues, Dr Fenton Ferguson does what every other PNP cabinet minister as well  the Prime Minister would have done, which is to add another layer of oversight to a system that already has too many oversight “bodies”.

Fenton, it’s not a lack of supervision per se that is the problem, instead it the unavailability of the correct resources required to get the job done that is the problem.

To set up a special unit to deal with “infection control” shows a clear lack of understanding of the problems facing the health sector and can lead to no useful remedy of the problem. This has created one more layer of people to which reports have to be now made before it gets to Fenton. In this way, he can continue to say he was not aware because his technical team did not appraise him of the matter on hand.

Classic PNP chess move ie give the impression you are doing something while doing nothing to fix problem but further insulating yourself from such problems in the future.

Next time he will blame his ” special unit” for any problems because they “failed” to advise him

Every hospital already have infection control teams  and systems to address these, but without the requisite resources they simply cannot get the job done.

Dr Ferguson already has in his hand an audit of the health system, which paints a damning picture of the system that he has built over the last 4 years and no more reports are required at this point in time. What is required are very specific steps to put more resources  into the system to help solve the problem.

• We know the problem
• We know the solution to the problem
• We do not need another team of PNP sympathizers to add another layer to the system.
• We simply need to do what needs to be done to address the problem and provide all the resources  required to get it done.

It may not be as simple as I make it sound but in the final analysis that is what it boils down to.

The PNP solution to failure is to set up committees chaired by those who have failed to determine why they failed and to report back those who are failures, why they failed. Once done the report goes no where and its business as usual.

Case in point Fenton audit of the health sector.

Fenton ordered a audit of the failing health sector, which he incidentally leads, to look into the failures of the system and to furnish him with such report.

Once the report gets back to Fenton indicating where he has been failing, what happens?

Well the report become state secret  never to see  the light of day.

Its business as usual once again. Nothing resolved !