BVIHSA CEO vacancy unfilled for over a year

Concerns have been raised in the House of Assembly over the unfilled Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position at the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA), which has remained vacant for more than a year.

Health Minister Vincent Wheatley provided an update on the matter after being questioned by Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn in the House of Assembly (HOA) last week. During the HOA sitting, Penn asked Minister Wheatley to explain why the BVIHSA has been without a CEO for such an extended period. Minister Wheatley acknowledged the difficulties in filling the position despite ongoing efforts. “We made every effort to encourage individuals to apply, but it has been a challenging process,” Wheatley explained while referencing the authority’s recruitment attempts that began in 2023.

He added that multiple vacancy advertisements and recruitment notices yielded minimal responses. However, he assured the House that interviews were scheduled in hopes of resolving the issue. Penn further pressed the Minister on the delays in appointing a CEO. He noted that a recommendation for the role had been submitted to the minister in December 2023 but had yet to receive Cabinet approval. Wheatley explained, “There were some complexities in the information provided for the CEO appointment. We had to request additional details before it could proceed to Cabinet.”