St Helena : St Helena Government “Freezes” External Recruitment
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 21.08.2010 (Article Archived on 04.09.2010)
In response to its commitment to reduce the footprint of the public sector, SHG has, with some exceptions, placed a moratorium on external recruitment.
SHG “Freezes” External Recruitment
In response to its commitment to reduce the footprint of the public sector, SHG has, with some exceptions, placed a moratorium on external recruitment.
This initiative goes hand in hand with Government’s long-stated policy to downsize the public service in support of private sector development. In this regard SHG departments will be taking measures to transfer some of its non-core activities to the private sector over the next three year period.
The moratorium or temporary freeze on external recruitment will encourage mobility within the public service leading to greater efficiency.
In order to ensure the continued delivery of ‘front line services’, the following services/posts have been exempted from the moratorium:
(a) Nurses
(b) Teachers
(c) Police and fire/rescue
(d) Ambulance drivers
(e) Power station
(f) Project related work where employees can be recruited on a fixed term contract.
Internal recruitment exercises will, however, be extended to Prince Andrew School leavers subject to a maximum intake of ten school leavers across SHG departments. This quota excludes those school leavers recruited to any of the front line services.
It is recognised that there is likely to be a few cases where external recruitment is crucial to the delivery of other priority areas of work. In such cases arrangements have been put in place to allow recruitment from outside the public service.
Public Relations/Information Office
Office of the Chief Secretary
18 August 2010
St Helenian Petrina Williams Qualifies as Doctor of Medicine
“It was an intense six years but worth it in the end” says Doctor Petrina Williams, St Helena’s first known female doctor of medicine.
Well known to her Prince Andrew School tutors as an “A” student, it was suggested by the Education Officer John Price, at the time, that Petrina pursue a career in medicine. Taking the advice of Mr Price and Dr Bagley, Petrina applied for and successfully obtained a Chevening scholarship to study medicine at Southampton University in the UK, leaving St Helena in July 2001.
One of three hundred students, Petrina’s first three years, which included a foundation year, focused mainly on the science of medicine and the treatment of illnesses, with a year of clinical study proving the hardest.
At the end of the three years Petrina chose to do a medical elective in Uganda. Her two months in a Ugandan hospital exposed her to a whole host of diseases including malaria, HIV and tuberculosis. While the hospital was considered fairly small, with a sixty bed capacity, there were often two people to a bed and Petrina found it quite disturbing that patients were frequently turned away from the hospital because they were too poor to afford medical care.
Following her two months work experience in Uganda, Petrina returned to the UK to undertake a year of research and writing assignments, studying schizophrenia, dermatology, ears, nose and throat (ENT), orthopaedics and ophthalmology.
Her fifth year of medicine concentrated on clinical work until final exams in June 2007 saw her graduate with a Bachelor of Medicine.
Having obtained her doctorate, Petrina spent a year working at Southampton General Hospital which she found to be very busy, followed by a year in a hospital in Winchester. Last year she moved to the Isle of Wight where she has continued to work to date.
Currently taking a short break while renovations are being undertaken at her current place of work, Petrina is enjoying a well deserved break with her family here on the island i.e Mom and Dad, Joyce and Raymond (Rusty) Williams and brother Andy and of course other family and friends.
Petrina leaves the island when the RMS returns from Cape Town and intends to return to study for a further three years, specialising in general practice. This will include psychiatric, ENT, dermatology, with a spell in the accident and emergency department. Following on from this Petrina hopes to spend a year at Sandown GP Surgery in the Isle of Wight before undertaking further studies in obstetrics and gynaecology before returning home to work in the General Hospital here on the island.
While Petrina’s success is a credit to her commitment and determination, it has not always been a smooth passage. There were times when she felt the pressure but, thanks to the support and encouragement from family and friends, she weathered the storm and came through smiling.
A very modest young lady, Petrina is grateful to all those who encouraged her to pursue a career in medicine, for the opportunity of the Chevening Scholarship and for the support of the St Helena Government who sponsored her final years of study. She is indeed an inspiration to her proud parents and to other young people who dare to pursue their dreams.
On behalf of all on St Helena, we extend heartfelt congratulations to Dr Petrina Williams on her outstanding achievement and look forward to her return in three years time.
Public Relations/Information Office
Office of the Chief Secretary
18 August 2010
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