SLMDA responds to public controversy surrounding Dr. Clark

The Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association (SLMDA) has responded to a letter to the board of directors of the Irvine King EU Hospital which they say has unfortunately become public and accurately reflects the legitimate concerns of its members.

After the letter became public, “our president, Dr. Mel Clark, has been subjected to personal attacks and defamation for carrying out the duties entrusted to her by the membership. She has worked hard on our behalf to highlight and seek intervention for serious problems in our public health system, but has been falsely accused of political affiliation and abuse of her position,” the St. Louis Health and Human Trafficking Association said in a statement Monday.

The Saint Lucia Medical Association condemned the “unfounded allegations” and public attacks on its president and urged the public not to be distracted by the misrepresentation of facts and “neglect the critical issues at hand.” Healthcare is an essential service and every Saint Lucian has the right to quality care. Dr. Clark is merely a messenger speaking on behalf of the physician community. Any attack on her is an attack on all of us.

The Sri Lanka Land and Land Administration warned: “We will not remain silent when our services call for change.”

Sponsored | Article continues below

Furthermore, the St. Lucia Mobile Development Agency noted, “We remain steadfast in our commitment to addressing pressing issues in our healthcare system and will continue to advocate for the well-being and access to equitable, affordable healthcare for all Saint Lucians.”

The chairman of the Sri Lanka Land and Land Administration Bureau was recently criticized for writing a letter to the board expressing disgust at the current state of the OKEU.

The letter, dated July 31, said the consensus among doctors’ groups was that “the board, ostensibly charged with drafting policies to ensure the hospital operates efficiently, has failed miserably.”

“The issues are too numerous to quantify, but we will attempt to highlight the most salient issues that were raised in the advisory body meetings. It is important to note that these issues are not new and you are already aware of them, but the situation has deteriorated to an unsustainable level,” Clark said in the letter.