And acting with haste meant assigning Dr Melissa Diaz - who is the deputy manager of the central region - to acting DHS when Dr Marvin Manzanero went on sick leave.
And now that her three month transfer to that post is up - and she has returned to her substantive post - the unfortunate part is that two medical professionals - both with stellar records - are unwittingly being pitted against each other.
Chebat lamented this today:
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"It is unfortunate that what has happened here is that there have been 2 characters cast one against the other and we are now using a last name to crucify and individual which is unfair."
"What happened is this, when we got into the ministry we saw the spirralling number of positive Covid cases and we knew that we had to go in a different direction. We saw what had been done and we did not feel that the new direction could be headed by the people who were there at the time. We looked in the wider public for somebody who had experience on the forefront of the bottle and we found that person in Dr. Diaz and I'll tell you something, I reached out to Dr. Diaz personally and ask her to come onboard because of her experience and because of the respect that the medical community has for her and I'll tell you what I have no regret in doing that, the number bear-out for themselves and the protocols that she has put into place is what has us at this point today."
Reporter
"But, in terms of the allegations that are being made by the unions or the arguments rather, they are saying you are not following due process. The public service regulations are there, they stipulate certain things and this government has certainly not followed that."
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"Well, I would beg to differ. Everything we have done up to date is by advice we've gotten from the ministry of the public service as well as the attorney general's ministry."
Reporter
"And then you believe that would stand in court?"
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"Obviously I believe that would stand in court."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Sir, you have all courted yourself into an invidious position in so far as the same deputy DHS who was leapfrogged for the appointment, very effective appointment of Dr. Diaz, now that same deputy DHS has been called upon to be the DHS or the acting DHS or to act in the role. I heard you refer to a deputy DHS in one of your interviews."
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"What we have at the ministry is a group of people working together. We have move away from one individual who controlled every single thing at the ministry to a group of people working together and that is what we have at the ministry."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But at the end of the day you can't have all indians and no chief, there has to be a head of department."
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"Certain on the duties of the director of health services have been assigned to the current deputy director and to other managers at the ministry of health."
Reporter
"In the meantime you won't seek another person to actually fill the position of DHS? You will continue discussions with Dr. Manzanero?"
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"To do what, I just want to understand your question."
Reporter
"Whether you will find someone to fill the DHS position, since you obviously since you don't want Manzanero there."
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"That is a position that will be filled in time."
