KINGSTON, Jamaica – Labelling the condition of the health sector as “woeful”, the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has repeated its call for the immediate resignation of Health Minister, Dr Christopher Tufton.

The call was made at a press conference at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in St Andrew on Friday in response to the recent revelation of the deaths of 12 babies at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital due to a bacterial outbreak.

READ: 12 babies die from bacterial infection at Victoria Jubilee Hospital

“There have been too many catastrophes associated with the Ministry of Health; we cannot allow the mismanagement and lack of accountability to go on,” said PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell.

“How many more people, how many more babies should die before something is done to address the woeful condition of our health sector?” Campbell continued.

PNP President and Opposition Leader, Mark Golding recalled similar incidents where other ministers were punished and beckoned that something be done.

“There is a history to this sort of thing as is well known, past ministers have resigned when confronted with a similar situation of lack of proper care and attention within Victoria Jubilee hospital resulting in a sense that somebody should be held accountable at the top and the right thing was done,” said Golding.

“In this instance, not only is that the case, that we have had multiple fatalities of newborn infants due to improper hygiene, care and attention to the facilities where they are being kept within the hospital but what makes it more egregious is the failure to disclose and the apparent cover up, “ added Golding.

Golding also expressed condolences to the parents of the babies.

“One cannot imagine the pain and the loss of a baby to the mother, father and the wider family and friends, the nation grieves with you,” Golding said.

Tufton has suggested that a severe shortage of nurses could have led to the outbreak of the resistant bacteria that killed a number the babies.

He said the ratio of nurses to babies in the neonatal intensive care unit should be one nurse to two babies. However, with Jamaica plagued by a severe nursing shortage due to the high number of nurses migrating each year, Tufton said in an interview that “we’re now at one (nurse) to seven (babies) and sometimes more”.