Government yesterday unveiled plans for a single professional body to issue licences to a group of medical staff on the Island and to require practitioners to renew them every two years.

The Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine will take over from Government the processing and issuing of certificates.

Health Minister Nelson Bascome said the changes to the 1973 Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act will help improve the quality of health care on the Island.

The Council regulates a number of professions including chiropody, dietetics, medical laboratory technology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, radiography and speech-language pathology.

Mr. Bascome also revealed that unsuccessful applicants will be able to appeal to Cabinet if they are refused a licence. They will still retain the ultimate right of appeal to Supreme Court of Cabinet rejects them.

Mr. Bascome told the House of Assembly: "The regulation of health care workers is critical to assuring the provision of quality health care on the Island.

"We are trying to improve the quality of care of service provided by these professionals. Once registered, individuals will have to go out and get professional development from their professions.'' The amendment will also allow the Council to authorise locums for overseas health professionals to practise in Bermuda for a limited period of time.

Acting Shadow Health Minister Grant Gibbons said the United Bermuda Party supported the changes, but questioned why Cabinet would have the right to hear appeals.

"We feel in some ways the amendments are going in the right direction away from the Minister to the Council but all of a sudden to have the appeal back to Cabinet raises questions.

"I hope Cabinet doesn't take this personally, but does Cabinet have the competence to adjudicate on whether someone is competent to practise?'' Mr. Bascome said sometimes it was a matter of exercising a layman's commonsense to determine whether someone had suffered an injustice.

He also confirmed that Government had no immediate plans to introduce magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -- an advancement on CAT scans -- to the Island, despite the amendment including regulating someone qualified to operate the equipment.

Dr. Gibbons had asked: "Are we seeing the thin end of the wedge in bringing in MRI to Bermuda. A lot of people have looked into it and a lot of people feel strongly about it on both sides.'' Referring to the cost of MRI, he asked: "Does Bermuda have a sufficient population base to justify the cost of acquisition of an MRI machine?'' Mr. Bascome said: "Is Government or the Bermuda Hospitals Board bringing in MRI? No. A number of organisations are interested in bringing it in, but there is no definitive answer. We are still looking at it and still in the discussion phase.'' Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown launched an angry attack on the UBP for claiming there were morale problems that were new and concerns about financial mismanagement at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Brown, who is a GP, was infuriated when a member of the Opposition mentioned that the hospital Chief Executive Officer was Jamaican.

He said: "Under the previous Government, I remember standing on this floor saying there were horrendous problems at the hospital. I was challenged but the truth unfolded.'' He said the UBP was implying the problems were as a result of the PLP and the ethnicity of the hospital leadership.

"There is a perception that people like me and most of the people over here can't handle money. If you put us in charge of a hospital we can't handle it,'' he said.

"From whence cometh this basic conviction. It is important to know that otherwise you won't be able to understand yourself.'' He said board Hospital board chairman Raymonde Dill was accused of interference because he was committed to solving problems.

Pointing out that the hospital has had Canadian and English CEO's, he added: "Now because we've got one from Jamaica we've got problems?'' Mr. Bascome added: "I stand behind the hospital 100 percent. We've had our share of problems at the hospital, but right now with the leadership we've got we are moving forward in terms of low morale.'' The bill was passed and will go to Senate.