innis_francis@yahoo.com
San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello had some angry words for guests for their distracting chatter during his address at lab accreditation celebrations at Victoria Laboratories Limited on Saturday night. The mayor, who was on hand to cut the ribbon and deliver remarks at the event, was among several dignitaries invited to take part in the programme hosted by the lab’s managing director Neil Ajodha and his wife, Opheila.
After cutting the ribbon to officially open the facility, Regrello took to the podium and before giving his remarks, pointed out to the master of ceremonies the correct order of protocol when dealing with a political list.
“This is for your enlightenment so the error will not occur again,” he said.
As launched into his address, there were murmurings from the group, which prompted him to comment: “The people who are speaking there I should stop and allow you to speak because it makes no sense I’m here carrying on a conversation while you speak there. Why am I invited to speak and bring remarks while you are speaking?”
Regrello continued: “We as parents should be exemplars, our children are looking at us. Those of you employed here today represent a long journey throughout history to better understand the human conditions and qualities that we lack sometimes.”
A visibly upset Regrello left the event shortly after delivering his remarks.
Victoria Laboratories is affiliated with the Victoria Nursing Home and is the first private lab in T&T, established in 1963.
In his address at the function, former tertiary education minister Fazal Karim endorsed the work done at the lab and urged management to include a programme for nurses to be accredited.
“I want to ask you to apply as well to the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago to pursue their very rigorous regime of quality assurance. It is very important that while you are delivering quality services that we might be able to give quality training and certification in Trinidad and Tobago, so people don’t have to spend monies abroad to get the certification they require to perform creditably,” Karim said.
Ajodha said it was an achievement to have taken the organisation from where it was to international status. He said he felt humbled to announce that the organization is now an internationally accredited one.
Also attending the event was Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Kazim Hosein, Dr Austin Trinidade and Carlyle Lalla.