Parliamentary Secretary
Senator Dr. Natalie Chaitan Maharaj
Dr. Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj is a long standing servant of the People.
She first chose to serve as a medical doctor – having trained at UWI Mona and St. Augustine.
She served at the NCRHA Mt. Hope Women’s Hospital for 15 years delivering compassionate care and innovative solutions to her patients.
After forging a distinguished 15 year career as a medical doctor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr. Chaitan went on to hone business skills as part owner of her own medical center. As a partner at First Call Medical Services she extended her impact beyond the hospital, making quality healthcare more accessible to the community. In addition, she was an associate Lecturer at the University of the West Indies, training and nurturing the next generation of medical professionals.
With an unshakable work ethic and a heart for service, Dr. Chaitan-Maharaj is ready to expand her impact by transitioning from community-focused service to the national level.
Her vision at the MPSDFS is clear: to ensure that the most vulnerable in our society are empowered to reach their full potential.
Permanent Secretaries
Mr. Ryan Ramcharan, Permanent Secretary (Ag)
PS Ramcharan (Ag) has approximately 24 years of service in the public sector of Trinidad and Tobago where he held several senior leadership roles. A trained and qualified Information Communication and Technology (ICT) professional, Mr Ramcharan has spent a significant period of his career at the Ministry of Health. Prior to his appointment in this Ministry, PS Ramcharan would have served as Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Health from 2021. PS Ramcharan holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Business Information Technology, with commensurate training and experience in Project Management, e-Governance and Digital Transformation. He is passionate about business transformation leading towards enhanced service delivery by linking corporate vision to deliver the desired results through people empowerment, and the effective use of processes, resources and enabling technologies.
Mrs. Wendy Guy-Hernandez, Permanent Secretary (Ag)
Mrs. Wendy Guy-Hernandez brings her thirty-seven years (37) of public service experience to the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services. Before her appointment at this Ministry, Mrs. Guy-Hernandez worked as Administrator of the Tobago House of Assembly from 2014. During this time, she led several divisions which included the Division of Planning and Development, Settlements and Labour, Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Sport and Youth Affairs, Finance and the Economy, and Tourism, Culture, and Transportation.
Mrs. Guy-Hernandez holds a BSC. in Management Studies from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, and an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) from the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business and has completed the Caribbean Leadership Project’s Leadership Development Programme. These all form part of the toolkit she has used in her dynamic contribution to public service over the years.
Deputy Permanent Secretary
Mrs. Vera Deonanan Balkaran, Deputy Permanent Secretary
Mrs Vera Deonanan-Balkaran was appointed as Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services effective July 20, 2023.
Mrs. Deonanan-Balkaran is a career Public Servant with approximately 33 years of service in the Civil Services of Trinidad and Tobago. She has served at various Ministries/Departments and her last appointment prior to her appointment at this Ministry was at the Personnel Department of Trinidad and Tobago. Whilst there she served as a Director of HRM specializing in Compensation Management. She also served as the Deputy Chief Personnel Officer for approximately 18 months.
She holds a General Bachelor’s degree with a specialization in History issued by the University of the West Indies, a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management with distinction and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Leadership and Innovation with distinction, issued by the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business and the University of the West Indies, respectively.