MONTEGO BAY, St James — Opposition Spokesman on Health Horace Dalley has described the issues facing the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay as a “national crisis” which should not be used as a political football.

“This is not a political football. I have always said health is a difficult portfolio — very, very difficult portfolio — and I have always hoped that it would never become a political football,” Dalley told members of the media after a tour of the facility Monday afternoon.

“We want to give our support, as Opposition, to whatever measures are (being) taken and have some ideas to put forward, too, to deal with the crises we face down here,” he said.

But when pressed that the problem has been festering under previous administrations without any action being taken, the Opposition spokesman pointed out that during the 2015/2016 financial year, under the former People’s National Party Administration, a separate ventilation system was installed on the fourth and fifth floors of the 10-floor hospital.

“The Administration did some things. They installed a separate system on the fourth and fifth floors last 2015/2016 budget year, that’s why those wards are still operating,” he said.

Fumes leaking from the ventilation system have brought a temporary termination to all out-patient services on the three lower floors of the 43-year-old institution.

All services offered on the affected floors of the Type A hospital have been relocated to other areas, including under tents on the hospital compound.

During a town hall meeting in Montego Bay last month, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton explained that the origins of the crisis at the hospital date as far back as 2007.

But Dalley, who was the health minister in 2007, explained that back then it was a problem, but it has now exacerbated into a national crisis.

He indicated that he and his team were to meet with Dr Tufton yesterday to share ideas on how to address the CRH crisis.

In the meantime, the former health minister lauded CRH staff for their efforts to reorganise the operations at the hospital.

“My commendation to all the staff for the tremendous efforts which they have made in trying to relocate the operations of the hospital to serve the people of western Jamaica,” Dalley remarked.

“I visited a couple of the locations and, quite frankly, I have seen where the administration has tried to reorganise the services and I have to commend them for that. This is not a problem we are faced with, this is an emergency, this is a crisis and the people of western Jamaica will have to bear with it for a long time; it can’t be a month or two.”