Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton yesterday met with representatives from various medical groups to discuss efforts to find solutions to the challenges being faced at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in Montego Bay.

Hospital workers have been complaining that exposure to noxious fumes, believed to be escaping from the ventilation system, poses a health threat. In fact, a third of the nursing staff reported sick and failed to turn up for work on Thursday.

The fumes have resulted in a temporary termination of all out-patient operations on the three lower floors of the 43-year-old hospital. Also, approximately 50 per cent of services previously offered at the main hospital building have been relocated.

In a statement to the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on Thursday, Tufton said that operations at CRH are to be reduced by 90 per cent over the next three to four weeks. He also said that up to $400 million is to be spent to begin the replacement of the ventilation system.

During yesterday’s meeting with the medical groups, which included representatives from the Nurses’ Association of Jamaica (NAJ), Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) and the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA) to discuss efforts to find solutions to the challenges being faced at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), the teams agreed to work together to preserve critical areas of services at CRH while minimising the adverse impact on staff and patients at the facility.

According to the health ministry, they agreed to work together to implement the following: The isolation and cleaning of the operating theatres and adjoining ward facilities to accommodate dire surgical emergencies; the relocation of other critical patients to alternative accommodations on the compound within three weeks; and continued rerouting of various services to other hospitals, including Savanna-la-Mar and Falmouth as well as other medical facilities.

The Ministry of Health said it was also committed to daily briefings with all stakeholders to ensure that they are aware of any developments.

At the same time, the ministry expressed its appreciation to members of the health team and other members of staff for their understanding and support at this time.

Meanwhile, the Opposition People’s National Party reaffirmed its commitment to do its part in creating a healthy Jamaica, stating that it is prepared to work with the Government to find a workable solution to the crisis facing the Cornwall Regional Hospital.

Opposition Spokesman on Health Horace Dalley, along with members of his team, are expected to meet with Tufton on Tuesday, February 7 to discuss solutions to this national issue.

The PNP said in a release yesterday that the meeting will be preceded by a tour of CRH on Monday, March 6, to meet with hospital staff and patients in order to get a first-hand view of the situation.

The Opposition said it empathises with and supports the professional staff and patients of the hospital, whose health has been compromised and who have consequently become anxious because there seems to be no end in sight.

“Therefore, we feel that it is important that we join the Government in this cause to find an appropriate and speedy solution so that normalcy will return to Cornwall Regional Hospital,” the Opposition said. “We will also be appealing to the Government to put measures in place to ensure that this situation does not happen again, in any medical facility in Jamaica.”