KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) says that pictures used by Leader of the Opposition Andrew Holness on social media, depicting poor conditions in public hospitals, were shared by concerned health staff and family members.

“All the pictures on the conditions in the Jamaican health system were shared with us by concerned health-care staff, or family members of patients who have asked the leader of the Opposition to highlight the conditions,” said JLP deputy spokesman Robert Nesta Morgan in a release on the issue.

“We will remain true to our duty to expose, advocate and raise public consciousness on the health service,” Morgan added. “The truth may be an offence for those who want to hide it, but we will not join the conspiracy against the Jamaican people to hide the truth.” 

He said that the Opposition believes that the conditions of the hospitals need urgent attention. However, the audit report released by the Ministry of Health only highlights some of the problems in the health system, “and doesn’t adequately capture the stark nature and gravity of some of the conditions prevailing in health facilities”.

Morgan was responding to recent criticisms of the Opposition leader’s use of photographs depicting poor conditions in some public hospitals, which are on social media websites.

Balford Henry