MONTEGO BAY, St James — Prime Minister Andrew Holness says he has ordered an investigation into “disturbing reports” in the media arising from incidents that occurred at public health facilities.

Delivering the keynote address at the official opening of the 10th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference at Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James on Tuesday, Holness said he is expecting a full report from the investigation at Cabinet next week.

“These are issues that, as your Government and as your prime minister, I take them very deeply to heart and commit to doing everything within our power to ensure that every single Jamaican that needs health care can get access,” he added.

Last week, Opposition spokesman on health Dr Alfred Dawes called on the Ministry of Health to disclose the whereabouts of more than 100 ventilators that were donated to the Government.

In a media release Dawes said the ventilators were donated through the efforts of Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, European Union, and private individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While not intending to politicise recent tragedies affecting public health system users, the Opposition reminds the Government that mismanagement and corruption in the health sector is paid for in human lives. Despite the increase in the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s budget, the allocation and misallocation of funds have left Jamaicans feeling worse off than before the pandemic which saw the most significant increase in health-care spending in a generation,” Dawes was quoted as saying.

At the same time, following a recent video on social media showing the relative of a deceased woman who suffered a stroke complaining of alleged poor treatment at a hospital in western Jamaica, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton ordered a high-level probe.

The distraught woman in the video complained about the lack of medical equipment and the non-availability of an ambulance.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Holness told members of the diaspora that the Government is now “undertaking a massive transformation of the infrastructure of our health-care system, which will increase our capacity and improve the ability of health workers to deliver care”.

He highlighted upgrading work being undertaken at Cornwall Regional Hospital, University Hospital of the West Indies, and Spanish Town Hospital.