Shadow Health Minister Zane DeSilva has issued a robust defence of the running of Bermuda’s hospitals under his watch.Mr DeSilva, who was Health Minister between November 2010 and December 2012, spoke out after the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) revealed that it was facing a financial crisis and could go into debt within a year. The quango blamed Government-imposed caps on charges for services as a main cause for its precarious financial position.BHB Chairman Jonathan Brewin also revealed that the new board — appointed by Government in February — had concerns over a number of “legacy” issues left over from the former administration, including the appointment and performance of former Chief of Staff Donald Thomas, the creation of a revenue-raising subsidiary that actually lost money, and inflated salaries paid to some doctors.Yesterday Mr DeSilva said that he and the former board had been aware of those issues — but that the hospital had always been regarded as “a work in progress”.And he also defended the performance of Dr Thomas and former BHB CEO David Hill, for overseeing “tremendous improvements” at King Edward VII Memorial and the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute.“These issues were dealt with or under review by the previous board — nothing new,” Mr DeSilva said.“The BHB, like any business or institution in Bermuda or elsewhere in the world — particularly over the past five years, arguably, during one of the biggest recessions in Bermuda’s history — has certainly had challenges with maintaining and predicting its financial status. I said the current chairman Jonathan Brewin should apologise to the former board for his recent comments. We had a talented and very hard working board that worked and gave up many long hours voluntarily for Bermuda.”Mr DeSilva said that revenue caps introduced by the former Government last year had the backing of the BHB and insurance companies “to try and bring healthcare costs under control and still be able to offer good quality care”.“Of course I had concerns about efficiency and costs at the hospital and it was a continuous work in progress which would have continued with the progression of the National Health Plan,” Mr DeSilva said.“All executive staff and their work performances were reviewed on an annual basis, plus the board met at least once per month to discuss any issues, concerns and administration at the hospital.”He defended Dr Thomas and Mr Hill, insisting that the hospital had been in “a deplorable state” prior to their appointments.”There has been tremendous improvements at the hospital that have been well documented under their tenure,” he said.“The hospital has received continued accreditation over the past three years, improved patient satisfaction results, improved facilities, introduced state-of-the-art equipment, and of course has a great relationship with our overseas hospitals, allowing many of our people to have access to healthcare that, not long ago, was not possible without causing a huge financial burden to our Bermudian people.”Mr DeSilva said he would comment on the setting up of BHB subsidiary Healthcare Partners Ltd only after the current board has completed its investigation into the company.And he defended the former board against allegations that it was not transparent with the public on certain issues such as salaries for senior medics and administrators.“I believe the public have a right to know how the facility is being run but we have to be aware that some issues are sensitive and one has to be very careful with the release of certain information,” he said.