‘No victimisation against Clive Roucou,’ says HCA |24 June 2016

There was no victimisation against Clive Roucou the Health Care Agency of the Ministry of Health has said.

The agency said this in a communiqué released yesterday as it made reference to an article in a local newspaper and on social media that Mr Roucou has been the subject of victimisation.

The communique writes that Mr Roucou is employed as a full time lecturer at the National Institute of Health and Social Studies (NIHSS) where he has been teaching for the past five years and five months. He joined the NIHSS as lecturer on November 2, 2011.

During weekends, Mr Roucou was carrying out duties on a part-time basis both at the Emergency & Casualty Unit and at the Intensive Care Unit.

The communiqué adds that earlier this year, the Health Care Agency revised its policy whereby a decision was taken to employ only full time nurses and to stop the employment of part timers.

“The part time contract of Mr Roucou which expired in February 2016 has not been renewed. Mr Roucou has received a letter this week informing him of this decision,” said the communiqué which adds that as far as the Health Care Agency (HCA) management is concerned, Mr Roucou did complete his rostered duty this past weekend.

Still according to the HCA, Mr Roucou currently has a case with the Nurses and Midwives Council for a disciplinary offence against a paramedic colleague.

“All medical practitioners who have a licence to operate have to uphold the best practices of their respective medical councils and the employment regulations,” the HCA management has said.

It adds that in the past, the Ministry of Health has disciplined medical professionals who have carried out malpractices and after due process and verification from their respective councils, disciplinary action has been taken.

“Such process and verification on malpractices will continue to apply. Mr Roucou is still in employment with the NIHSS as a lecturer for emergency technicians.”

“The Ministry of Health attaches great importance towards the human resource training and Mr Roucou’s work is of significant benefit to our medical staff,” writes the communiqué.

With regards to foreign nurses, the HCA said it had advertised locally to recruit nurses but there was no response.

Last year, the Ministry of Health and the HCA took a decision to advertise overseas and to employ foreign nurses.

It was a long process, as their applications had to fulfill all employment procedures and clinical nursing requirements from the Nurses and Midwives Council of Seychelles.

The first group of seven nurses have already arrived in Seychelles.