Former legislator says politics behind push for Potter’s resignation

Former legislator Shereen Flax-Charles expressed concerns over the resignation push for BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) Chairman Ron Potter, suggesting that political affiliation has prevented Potter from doing his job.

Potter revealed through a press release over the weekend that the BVIHSA has been without sufficient board members to hold a meeting since July. He further pointed out that appointing new board members is the Cabinet’s responsibility, at the Health Minister’s recommendation. “A lot of things are blocked because of political affiliation. They might deny it, but I firmly believe that political affiliation has a lot to do with why this chairman is not able to get what he wants to get done,” Flax-Charles said in an interview with JTV.

Flax-Charles said she felt the public needed more information about the situation and argued that the chairman’s role is mainly voluntary and not a full-time job. “The chair gets a thousand-dollar stipend. The chair is not an employee of the Board … You cannot survive on a thousand dollars a month,” she explained. She described the Minister’s push for Potter’s resignation as a ‘dire’ situation. She criticised Health Minister Vincent Wheatley’s approach, suggesting a lack of transparency and effective communication.