MONTEGO BAY, St James — Representatives from the People’s National Party (PNP) are condemning the delays in the completion of the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) rehabilitation project and have called for the Auditor General to conduct a special audit.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, the caretakers for the five constituencies in St James voiced their dismay over the delay of what was described as the “heartbeat of public health” in western Jamaica.

On Wednesday, it was reported that there is the possibility of yet another delay in completing the massive overhaul being done at the Montego Bay hospital. Work was expected to be completed on the main building by April, part of a phased completion, but it appears that deadline is slipping.

READ: Another delay at CRH?

“In light of the substantial taxpayer funds already invested in this project, along with the significant cost overruns and prolonged delays, we are calling on the Auditor General to conduct a special audit to hold those responsible to account and ensure that our tax dollars are not being mismanaged. We will not rest until this project is delivered in full, with transparency and justice for the people it was meant to serve,” the caretakers said.

They outlined that what began eight years ago and started as a response to air quality concerns, “has ballooned into a national scandal, riddled with missed deadlines, shifting timelines, and a price tag that has grown to a reported $24 billion. Yet, still no hospital”.

PNP Caretaker for St James Central, Senator Janice Allen, said: “We’re not just talking about blocks and steel, this is about survival. People have died sitting on chairs waiting to be seen. We are paying with lives while the Government plays with excuses.”

“Cornwall Regional [Hospital] is not just a building, it is the heartbeat of public health in western Jamaica. Every delay is another risk to someone’s life. We cannot normalise this. We cannot keep pushing back hope while pushing up the cost. Our people deserve modern care, dignity and a system that actually works,” Andre Haughton, the PNP caretaker for St James West Central, added.

For Nekeisha Burchell, who is the PNP caretaker for St James South, the hospital is a “painful symbol of state failure”.

“This hospital has become the most painful symbol of state failure. For $24 billion, we could have built a brand new hospital and expanded care across the region. Instead, what do we have to show? One administrative building and more excuses. Every week, I receive calls from constituents, some crying, some angry, who can’t get basic treatment or timely care. The personal toll is unbearable. This is not just unacceptable. It is unforgivable,” Burchell said.

PNP caretaker for St James North West, Allan Bernard, is calling on the Government to provide a realistic, evidence-based timeline for the completion of the project.

“The time for excuses is over. This Government has failed to deliver. We demand that the Holness administration and the minister of health provide the country with a realistic, evidence-based timeline for completion of the Cornwall Regional Hospital project with details of the $24 billion expenditure and a formal apology to the people of western Jamaica for the hardship they have endured,” Bernard said.

“In many parts of St James East Central, people don’t have easy access to medical care, public or private. Cornwall Regional [Hospital] was the lifeline. Now they’ve been left stranded, turned away or referred miles away. We need leadership that puts people before PR and lives before ribbon cuttings,” added Rushell Reid-Knott, the PNP caretaker for St James East Central.