Four senior Queensland Health bureaucrats have resigned or been suspended in little over a month from the department’s Metro North region. This region includes two of Brisbane’s biggest hospitals, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital at Bowen Hills and the Prince Charles Hospital. On Monday afternoon, Metro North Health region confirmed the executive director of Metro North Health region, Professor Keshwar Baboolal’s position had suddenly been ended. The ending of Professor Baboolal’s contract is expected to cost taxpayers “megabucks”, one source told Fairfax Media. Fairfax Media can also confirm that the head of Metro North’s human resources area, Angela Wilke also resigned last week. In September Malcolm Stamp, the CEO of the Metro North Health and Hospital Board was suspended, alongside the health district’s executive director of corporate services and performance, Scott McMullen. Those two suspensions triggered an internal examination into the decision by Mr Stamp to appoint his daughter to a company that had contracts to Queensland Health. Those nepotism allegations are being investigated by the Crime and Corruption Commission. Queensland Health on Monday confirmed Professor Baboolal’s contract had been ended. He was the executive director of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Queensland’s biggest hospital. “As of 20th October, Professor Keshwar Baboolal’s employment with Metro North Hospital and Health Service has ended,” a statement from Metro North health region said. Professor Baboolal has been in Australia from the United Kingdom since 2011 and was re-appointed in August 2014. He is a specialist in haemotology. A source has told Fairfax Media, “the wheels are beginning to fall off” the Metro North Health region. Fairfax Media has been told the recent job losses are not connected directly to the initial nepotism allegations aired in September. One source has questioned the role of board chairman Paul Alexander and his involvement in the day to day operations of the health region. “So they’ve stood down two executives, they’ve sacked another one and the head of HR has resigned,” the source said. Professor Darren Walters, current Executive Director for Cardiothoracic has agreed to be the interim executive director of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital until at least February 2015. Professor Walters previously worked at the Prince Charles Hospital. One senior source has questioned the role of the board with the sequence of senior executive departures from Metro North. “I’m surprised the department is stepping in and going ‘What the hell is going on’.” A spokesman for Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said the decision to end Professor Baboolal’s contract was separate to the cronyism allegations. “The board has received some documents, which it has considered,” he said. “And as a result of that, Professor Baboolal is no longer employed.”