The Visitor to the University of the West Indies (UWI) has dismissed a bid by a group of medical personnel at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) to remove Professor Joseph Plummer as head of the hospital’s Department of Medicine, bringing to a close a challenge mounted months after his appointment.

The action, initiated by a small group of consultants, centred on claims that Plummer had not been properly appointed by UWI, which is responsible for such appointments. The matter was referred to the Visitor, Justice Rolston Fitzherbert Nelson, whose office adjudicates disputes relating to the university’s governance procedures.

However, well-placed Sunday Gleaner sources have said the challenge emerged after Plummer insisted that consultants comply with the Ministry of Health and Wellness requirement to provide 28 hours of weekly service to UHWI for teaching and patient care.