Medical Board rethinks Sawh enquiry 

The Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago has withdrawn its letter to Dr Avinash Sawh and will make a fresh determination at its meeting next month whether Sawh should be the subject of an enquiry.

In a letter from Allum Chambers, attorney Rajiv Persad, representing the Medical Board to attorney Martin George, who represents Sawh, Persad wrote, “The Council has accepted my advice and therefore we wish to advise that they have

agreed at their Regular Monthly Meeting for January 2021 to formally withdraw the letter sent to your client dated 12th November 2020.”

The letter he referenced was titled “Allegations against your good self” and noted there were five complaints made against Sawh- namely by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, Karian Forde, Denica Richards, Justin Ramroop and Dr Andre Alleyne.

Persad said retracting the letter will allow the council to determine whether any of the persons who initiated the complaints were willing to formally fill out and sign complaint forms.

“If that happens that material, as well as whatever other material that the Council has before it that is relevant, will be submitted to the Council who will consider afresh whether or not an enquiry may be warranted.”

Sawh shot into the national spotlight in early November, after several voice recordings of conversations between him and an employee were released on social media.

In those recordings, Sawh was heard making racist and derogatory statements and threatening a female employee.

During a press conference on November 11, Sawh apologised repeatedly for his statements, saying, “For those statements, I deeply and unreservedly apologise. There can be no justification for the statements that I made and I am stepping forth and manning up and I accept full responsibility for the national outcry that those statements have generated and the hurt that has been felt by varying sectors of the national community.”

BY: SHARLENE RAMPERSAD