A fifth person has been fired in relation to an alleged privacy breach in B.C.'s Ministry of Health.
B.C. Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid confirmed Friday that one of the three people in the health ministry suspended without pay in July and August has now been fired.
Due to privacy concerns and an ongoing investigation, MacDiarmid said she could not give a name or the cause for dismissal.
"The privacy legislation is very clear that we can't say anything that would identify any of the individuals," MacDiarmid said, adding that releasing the information could jeopardize the investigation.
However, sources confirm Bob Hart, a 30-year government employee and director of data access, research and stewardship, has had his employment terminated.
Hart was one of three people suspended without pay - including Malcolm Maclure, a UBC professor, and Rebecca Warburton, a health economist and UVic professor. Maclure and Warburton are co-directors of research and evidence development in the Ministry of Health's pharmaceutical services division.
Warburton's lawyer said her client is participating in the investigation but doesn't know the scope or terms of reference of the probe.
"I should also make it clear that while we are confident that Dr. Warburton will ultimately be found not to have participated in any of the wrongdoing which has been referred to by the ministry in the press - such as the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive health information or a privacy breach - the outcome of the investigation thus far, such as the termination of Ron Mattson and others, gives us considerable concern," said Cathie Boies Parker.
The minister couldn't say whether the latest dismissal was the result of new or old information.
Generally speaking, the minister said, the issues relate to the same inappropriate conduct, data management and contracting-out allegations that prompted an investigation in May and resulted in the dismissal of four others.
"It's been incredibly complex and it continues to be," MacDiarmid said.
Sources have confirmed the other individuals fired as: Ron Mattson, a special projects manager; David Scott, a senior researcher; Ramsay Hamdi, a senior economist; and UVic PhD student Roderick MacIsaac.
The health minister announced Sept. 6 the government fired four people and suspended three without pay from the ministry's pharmaceutical services division, terminated contracts worth $4 million with UVic and the University of B.C., and suspended drug and PharmaNet data access for its drug researchers.
The ministry is hiring a firm to help restart its research contracts in a way that meets its standards for contracting and privacy - which could take months.
"The deputy and myself and everyone in the ministry are committed to doing that as soon as possible but we have to know we are operating within the legislation," MacDiarmid said.
