The former Chief Executive Officer of the Linden Hospital Complex, Rudy Small, has been ordered to pay nurses at the hospital a total of $20 Million in damages and to issue a public apology in two daily newspapers and on social media, over defamatory statements against the nurses.

Back in 2021, protests erupted at the Linden Hospital and across the town after the then CEO in an interview, told a reporter that nurses from the hospital would sign in for duty and then leave the hospital to go spend the night and have sex with their “sweet man”.

Furious nurses launched a protest and were joined by community leaders and residents. The CEO was removed from his post and transferred to the Ministry of Health, but was then sent back to Linden to continue serving at the hospital in the same position. He then issued an apology for his statements being made public.

The nurses, through the Guyana Public Service Union, said an apology was never extended to them for the actual statements and they decided to move ahead with a class action lawsuit against the CEO.

Small resigned from the job eventually in 2022, but the Court case followed him.

In her ruling, the Chief Justice (ag) found that the statements made by Mr. Rudolph Small were in fact defamatory, and he was liable for the said statements.

She ordered that he publishes an unequivocal letter of apology to the Nurses, in two national newspapers and on the social media platform-Facebook on or before February 16, 2024. He has also been ordered to pay damages in the amount of $20 million, together with Court Costs in the sum of $500,000.

The Chief Justice ruled that if he fails to issue the apology as directed, an additional sum of $20 million is to be paid by way of further damages.  

Just recently, in another case related to the protests over the issue, the High Court found that it was unlawful for the Hospital’s management to deduct money from the salaries of the nurses who were on protest, and ordered that all of the deducted money be paid over to the affected nurses. The Government has since indicated its intention to appeal that particular ruling.

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