Transport and Local Government Minister Renward Wells will be sworn in tomorrow as the new Minister of Health. He will replace Dr. Duane Sands who resigned over his decision to allow six Americans to disembark a private aircraft on New Providence while borders were still closed.
Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis, who said protocol was breached, took over the health portfolio was never accessible and never attended Ministry of Health press conferences on the Covid-19 crisis.
It is the first time in recent memory that someone who is not a physician will serve as Minister of Health. Minnis must have been really desperate. The public was against the resignation of Sands - who was a very competent Minister - and had held out hope that he would be reinstated as Health Minister.
“Renward Wells is a doer”, said Minnis during his national address today.
He said Wells will be responsible for boosting immunizations and vaccinations. He will also work with public health officials to improve the country’s readiness for potential pandemics.
Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes will also assume responsibility for the Ministry of Transport and Local Government, according to Minnis.
Travis Robinson will be reinstated as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism. Minnis fired Robinson from that position in 2018 after he voted against the 12 percent increase in value added tax in the House of Assembly.
Vaughn Miller - who has since left the FNM and become an independent MP - and Frederick McAlpine were also fired from their government-appointed posts for voting against the VAT increase. Will they be reinstated to their former positions as well?