KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Labour Party youth arm, Young Jamaica, has echoed the sentiments of the party’s young professional affiliate Generation 2000 (G2K) that Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson should be relieved of his portfolio in Cabinet.

The group has described the crisis at the University Hospital of the West Indies and the Cornwall Regional Hospital which resulted in the deaths of 18 of 42 infected babies as “an absolute crisis of confidence in the minister”.

“The Prime Minister needs to fire Fenton Ferguson fast!” said the group’s President, Howard Chamberlain.

The health minister yesterday told reporters at a press conference that he did not know about the issue until Friday but Young Jamaica says it does not accept that this crisis was just brought to his attention.

The group added that it is alarmed that more 18 babies had to die from the deadly serratia and klebsiella infections before the minister and his technocrats addressed the matter publicly.

“In any other self-respecting country, the principles of accountability would require that Dr Ferguson be removed from office. His credibility has been completely erased, and the Jamaican people can no longer feel safe in our public hospitals with Dr Ferguson at the helm of the sector,” the group expressed.

As for affected families, Young Jamaica recommends court action against the Government.

“We are urging the affected families to file suit against this reckless government, to ensure that their rights are upheld and those precious little lives that have been unnecessarily lost can at least be vindicated in some way. This is an absolute tragedy,” the group said.