THERE has been general acceptance that Whanganui District Health Board CEO Memo Musa, has made the right choice with his decision to resign.
His resignation was announced on Wednesday and comes after a series of serious shortcomings in some hospital services were uncovered.
Chief among these were a number of botched sterilisations involving disgraced Czech-trained surgeon Roman Hasil.
Chester Borrows, Whanganui MP, said Mr Musa's staying in the position would only have aggravated the situation.
"Memo Musa was committed to the Whanganui DHB for a long time, but on this occasion he's made the right call," Mr Borrows said. "When you're CEO of a large corporation like the health board, it means the salary and position bring with it accountability.
"And when you're operating at that level and things go wrong, then someone ultimately has be held responsible."
Mr Borrows said he was aware that the board was probably split on whether Mr Musa stayed or went.
Another who believed Mr Musa had done the right thing was Tariana Turia, Maori MP for Te Tai Hauauru.
"Memo Musa has done the right thing in resigning and accepting that it is the responsibility of management to be accountable for the whole operation of the board," Mrs Turia said.
"There have been too many issues creating the perception of a hospital in crisis, and something had to change in order to maintain public confidence.
"Mr Musa has taken personal responsibility, even though criticism of the DHB was not personal to him though I suspect it may have seemed so to him from time to time," she said.
She said she respected his decision to step down.
The Chronicle contacted the board members yesterday for their reaction but only two - Ailsa Stewart and Phillipa Baker-Hogan - responded before press time.
Miss Stewart said she had worked with Mr Musa for many years and regarded his knowledge and organisational skills as "exceptional".
"We'd never have had the new buildings at the hospital without his continuous persistence," she said. "But I believe he's ready for another challenge, and I wish him well."
Mrs Baker-Hogan said the CEO's resignation was timely.
She said the serious issues raised through a number of reports, including the recent Health and Disability Commissioner's report into Dr Hasil, had resulted in the resignation of both the previous chairman Patrick O'Connor and now the chief executive.
"What I read through Mr Musa's comments is that the principle of accountability has been upheld and achieved for our communities.
"Serious mistakes have been made, resignations accepted and it is time to move on with renewed vigour," she said.
The Wanganui lawyer representing victims of botched surgeries in Wanganui Hospital says legal proceedings will continue despite CEO Memo Musa's pending departure.
Mr Musa had come under increasing criticism after a series of failed sterilisations carried out at the hospital by Dr Roman Hasil.
Last month, a HDC report found eight of 32 sterilisations performed by Dr Hasil in 2005 and 2006 failed, with six women subsequently becoming pregnant. Most had abortions. John Rowan QC, counsel for the women involved in Dr Hasil's botched operations, said yesterday the CEO's resignation did not change the plan to take legal proceedings.
"At least someone has taken responsibility," he told NZPA. The number of women who were victims of Dr Hasil's surgeries was a "growing group", and included women who had surgeries other than sterilisations.
Mr Rowan said the legal action, the nature of which was yet to be determined, was about more than money.
An apology for the women was important, as was counselling and ensuring nothing similar happened again.
Musa's decision to resign applauded
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