Oct. 14, 2004 – There was no comment from health officials Thursday over the apparent sudden departure of the woman who headed the Department of Health's mental health division.
Celia Victor had held that post for less than a year when she turned in a resignation letter to Health Commissioner Darlene Carty. The letter was reportedly handed over Friday, at the end of a week when a Territorial Court judge ordered Victor to personally pay a $1,000 fine. The fine was spelled out in a Contempt of Court order issued Oct. 4.
One advocate for the disabled on St. Thomas, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was no surprise at the action taken against the health director, saying the Health Department had neglected its reporting responsibilities for at least one mentally ill patient being housed off-island.
An assistant for the health commissioner said Thursday Carty was called to a meeting at Government House Thursday afternoon, then set off directly for the Health Department office on St. Croix without returning to her office at the Roy L. Schneider Hospital. Calls made to the St. Croix Health Department office went unanswered.
The mental health division has been the subject of scrutiny at top levels of the government since psychiatrist Hillary Wynn wrote a letter harshly criticizing operations at the Eldra Schulterbrandt facility on St. Thomas.
That letter detailed shortcomings in the availability and distribution of patient medications and problems with the handling of patient's personal funds.
Wynn resigned after she wrote that letter. Dr. Leighmin Lu is now serving the Schulterbrandt facility on a contract basis.
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