Geneva has a new hospital director after controversy
Published: Wednesday, Apr 24th 2024, 18:50
العودة إلى البث المباشر
Former ICRC Director General Robert Mardini is to become the new Director of Geneva University Hospital. The State Council has approved his appointment by the Board of Directors. The appointment had previously been a topic of discussion - due to an intervention by Pierre Maudet.
This was not the first time since his political comeback a year ago that Health Director Maudet had caused some unrest in Geneva. This time, the reason was that he had interfered in the election process.
According to media reports, the magistrate was bothered by the fact that the Board of Directors of the University Hospital (HUG) had only submitted a single candidate to the Geneva cantonal government for approval, despite the fact that the procedure stipulates this.
The Board of Directors had subjected Mardini to an online personality test - without a more in-depth assessment. Maudet, meanwhile, demanded that Mardini undergo a proper assessment before agreeing to this appointment at the head of the University Hospital (HUG).
Criticism from counterparts
He only made this demand at the very end of the recruitment process. Maudet, who has been back in the government in Geneva for around a year, drew criticism from his colleagues for his forward-looking approach.
On Wednesday, Maudet finally announced at the Geneva government's weekly media briefing that this "assessment" had consolidated Mardini's dossier. It had enabled the State Council to confirm the appointment. He did not provide any further details.
In a press release, Alain-Dominique Mauris, Chairman of the HUG Board of Directors, expressed his delight at Mardini's appointment as Director of the University Hospital. The selected candidate had demonstrated solid experience in the management of large institutions and undeniable leadership qualities.
The 51-year-old Lebanese-Swiss dual citizen headed the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from March 2020 to March 2024. The humanitarian organization employs around 20,000 people in over 100 countries. Around 13,000 people work at Geneva University Hospital. The civil and hydraulic engineer will take up his new post on September 1, 2024.
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