KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesperson on Health and Wellness Dr Alfred Dawes says the healthcare system is in a “serious crisis mode” due to an ongoing mould infestation at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) which has resulted in the closure of the operating theatre at the facility.

Dawes, who was speaking at a press conference on Tuesday at the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Old Hope Road headquarters, said this closure has resulted in more urgent surgery cases being transferred to the Bustamante Hospital and the University Hospital of the West Indies, which he described as a “logistical nightmare”.

“Unfortunately, there are people who are patients who are admitted at KPH now who will never make it to an operating room. They, unfortunately, are going to die waiting to receive service,” Dr Dawes said.

“They have tried to outsource some of the more urgent cases, cancer cases, to the University Hospital. It has been a logistical nightmare. They’re not getting half as many cases as they would have liked done. They’re trying to do some at Bustamante Hospital in another piecemeal approach but there is no coordinated plan to see how you’re going to get surgical services up and running. There are some crucial surgical disciplines that we cannot afford to fall off completely. One such service is neurosurgery. With Cornwall Regional Hospital not having a fully functional neurosurgical service, we’re left with just KPH, and now KPH does not have a functioning neurosurgical service, which means that if anyone anywhere in Jamaica gets a fall or any head injury, they are in serious danger of dying from something that could have easily been fixed with surgery. Do not feel that the University Hospital can shoulder the brunt of all of the trauma, all of the complex cases that are currently being sent for their management,” he explained.

The Opposition spokesman stressed that one Type A hospital cannot serve the entire Jamaican population.

“One Type A hospital in the entire Jamaica cannot serve a population of almost three million persons who are getting older, who have chronic diseases and get a lot of strokes, heart attacks, and we do have a high rate of motor vehicle accidents as well as violent trauma. So when you put all of those factors together, taking Cornwall Regional out of the public health care sector, and now taking out KPH as well, we are in a serious crisis mode. We cannot pretend as if it is business as usual. We cannot paint up a building and say that renovations are taking place. We cannot say that this was something that was inherited. We have to take decisive actions now,” he continued.

Additionally, Dr Dawes noted that the intensive care unit (ICU) and ventilators are lacking in the healthcare system.

“Again, other services that are affected, the ICU, when we spoke about ICU spaces and ventilators, the pushback was that it was simply not true. But the evidence came out from their own audits that we were lacking ICU spaces. Now, back then, a year ago, the ICU spaces at KPH contributed at least seven total number to the bed count. Today, we’re down to about four, because the ICUs are non-functional, so they have moved them over to the Victoria Tripoli Hospital. So when you look at the whole picture, we are seeing a non-functional Taipei Hospital, which was the last of the two that were supposed to serve the entire island. And with KPH out, we are in serious danger,” he said.

Dr Dawes, who provided photos depicting mould infestation at KPH, said this poses a serious threat to both staff and patients at the facility.

“Patients cannot be seen and treated in these areas. There are a lot of issues that come with mould inhalation, and the staff are at serious risk. And anyone who has worked at Cornwall Regional can tell you that working in a mould-infested environment does cause respiratory problems. You just feel sick all the time, and it may aggravate some chronic diseases. So we are putting patients and staff at risk while this cover-up is going on,” he noted.

— Vanassa McKenzie