In a letter to Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd, Senator Douglas E. Canton Jr., chairman of the Committee on Health and Hospitals, has protested the jurisdiction and protocol of a Finance Committee public hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday in St. Croix.
Calling the Finance hearing, "an unnecessary and unwarranted encroachment on the health committee," Canton has requested Liburd to intervene with Finance Committee Chairwoman Alicia "Chucky" Hansen's hearing to "address the issue of the Ingeborg Nesbitt Clinic in Frederiksted under the guise of 'Potential for lost Revenues to the Department of Health'."
Canton said he has a scheduled meeting with leadership of the Frederiksted clinic, and they are scheduled to testify at a Health and Hospitals Committee meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 on St. Croix, and at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28 on St. Thomas.
Canton told Liburd he has already met with the Juan F. Luis Hospital board, "and, as you are aware," he said, "we are scheduled to meet with the Roy L. Schneider Hospital Board Tuesday." Liburd is vice-chair of the Health and Hospitals Committee.
Canton said Hansen or any other senator is always welcome to participate in Health Hospital Committee meetings.
Neither Liburd nor Hansen was available for comment late Monday afternoon.
