ISSUES highlighted by a five-man committee appointed to investigate the factors contributing to clinical outcomes of covid19 patients ought to result in the dismissal of Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, CEOs of the regional health authorities and even the Prime Minister who appointed the commission, says former education minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh.

Gopeesingh, at the UNC’s weekly virtual report on Monday, spoke entensively on the 105-page report which was laid and reviewed in Parliament last Friday.

The committee, led by Prof Terence Seemungal, met and collected data between January 17 and February 24 before issuing the report with its analysis along with 16 recommendations.

Gopeesingh said, while alarming, the report did not surprise the Opposition.

“Every single fallacy, shortcoming and problem … that this committee has identified, we have been saying that all along. And even patients, doctors and nurses and the families of covid19 victims have also been saying that all along,” he said. "So there are no surprises to the information that has been provided in this report.”

Gopeesingh, a former education minister under the People’s Partnership administration, highlighted the report’s findings of staff shortages at the executive levels, along with nurses, orderlies and patient escorts at hospitals.

He also addressed the overworking and burnout of medical staff, the poor conditions they endured, a lack of contracts offered to young doctors, and the sizable death toll attributed to covid19.

One nurse, the committee reported, was tasked with overseeing some 30 patients at a time.

Doctors, it revealed, were also required to do non-medical jobs like lifting and moving patients and processing nasal swabs. Nurses were also required to do duties outside of their regular functions and complained of being overworked, almost to the point of exhaustion.

“We have been saying that (for 18 months). From early in this pandemic, there has been a shortage of both senior experienced ones and other nursing personnel and doctors."

On Sunday, during a UNC briefing, Gopeesingh also urged the Commissioner of Police and Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate the Government's handling of the covid19 pandemic.

“The nursing association has repeatedly warned (Minister Deyalsingh), and the UNC (we) continuously warned them as well of medical and nursing personnel shortages very early, but they didn’t take us on.

“Concluding that the workload was severe, the committee said it must take a toll mentally, physically and psychologically,” Gopeesingh said.

“They go on to state that privacy and security were also areas of concern raised by the committee. At some sites … three to four young doctors, male and female, had to sleep on mattresses on the floor in the same room. Imagine in the 21st century, in a developed country, this is what was happening under Deyalsingh’s watch.

“Some doctors complained that the door to their room could not be locked. The committee said this was particularly worrisome, given the cu