New Chief Medical Officer appointed

Chief Medical Officer Dr St Clair Thomas is now on pre-retirement leave, after serving in that capacity for almost 12 years.{{more}}

The consultant otolaryngologist or ear, nose and throat surgeon spent his last day in office on October 9, and has been replaced by consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Sherian Slater, who has been appointed to act in the position.

Dr Thomas was appointed Chief Medical Officer in January 2001, on the retirement of Dr Harold Rampersaud.

Thomas also had a short foray into politics, and unsuccessfully contested the South Windward seat on a New Democratic Party (NDP) ticket in June 1998, losing to then leader of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) Vincent Beache.

The NDP, however, narrowly won the elections, eight seats to the ULP’s seven, following which, Thomas was appointed senator and minister of health and the environment. He, however, resigned as minister on January 17, 2000, just days before a debate on a no-confidence motion in the government was scheduled to be held in Parliament.