Not letting up on his fierce criticism of Health Minister Dr. Duane Sands, Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts has suggested that the Minister choose a side.

In a statement released yesterday Mr. Roberts called on Prime Minister Hubert Minnis to eliminate the apparent conflict of interest.

“To preserve the integrity of the institution called the cabinet, Prime Minister Minnis is duty bound to eliminate the conflict of interest surrounding his Health Minister, Dr. Duane Sands. The rules are the rules and the codes of ethics apply to all cabinet ministers, including Dr. Sands.

“If Dr. Sands wishes to perform surgical procedures gratis, he does not need to be a cabinet minister to do that. The future viability of our health services industry and the future of the country’s health were never predicated on Duane Sands becoming the Minister of Health and if he leaves the cabinet today, nothing will change in the health sector.

“He voluntarily accepted the post of Health Minister and must comply with the terms and conditions of the post without exception. Dr. Sands is not special and no amount of excuses and deflections will change the fact that he is in a fundamental conflict between his public duty and private business interests.

“Dr. Sands cannot be regulator and practitioner all at the same time. This is impatient of debate. Choose ye this day which master you will serve,” Mr. Roberts said

Mr. Roberts also urged the press to further probe Dr. Sands.

“I invite the Press to put these Questions to Dr. Duane Sands:

“Who is currently paying his professional indemnity insurance as he performs pro bona surgeries at the Rand Hospital Grand Bahama?

“What happens if something goes wrong during these surgeries?

“Would the Hon. Minister Sands be caught up in a serious conflict of interest?

“Why the lies and deception by the Minister of Health who knows he should not be practicing surgery whilst holding the office of Minister of Health?

“Has Dr. Sands conducted surgery for patients of Dr. Ronald Knowles who is contracted for Dialysis patients since been appointed Minister of Health in May 2017? If affirmative, how much was he paid?

“Was it Dr. Sands who proclaim ‘nothing is free’ but now wishes Bahamians to believe that somethings are free?,” Mr. Roberts said.

On Sunday, Roberts said in a press statement that if reports are true that the minister is still performing surgeries then Sands “is in direct violation of [the] established and longstanding Cabinet code of ethics and procedures for its ministers, as the health minister would have placed himself in a fundamental conflict between his private business interests and his public duty”.

Dr. Sands since confirmed he still performs free operations and “would not let patients die over politics”.