“THE people of western Jamaica are now in the eighth year of waiting. What began 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,” five People’s National Party (PNP) candidates have claimed.

In a joint call on the Government, the five who will contest the impending elections later this year from St James constituencies said they are united in condemning, “yet another delay in the completion of the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) rehabilitation project”.

They are: Nekeisha Burchell (St James Southern); Dr Andre Haughton (St James West Central); Senator Janice Allen ( St James Central); Allan Bernard (St James North Western), and Rushelle Reid-Knott (St James East Central).

“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,” said Senator Allen.

Dr Haughton said: “Cornwall Regional 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.”

For her part, Burchell said: “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.”

Bernard, declared: “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.”

Reid-Knott added: “In many parts of East Central St James people don’t have easy access to medical care, [whether] public or private. Cornwall Regional 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.”

In light of the substantial taxpayer funds already invested in this project, the five said, 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.”