KINGSTON, Jamaica — People’s National Party (PNP) Spokesperson on Health and Wellness Dr Alfred Dawes is calling on the health minister to provide the Victoria Jubilee Hospital’s full mortality data from 2020 amid reports that 24 babies died there in June.

The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) confirmed to Observer Online on Thursday that a high-level meeting was underway regarding the incident but declined to provide further details at the time.

READ: Health authorities meet over 24 reported deaths of babies at Victoria Jubilee Hospital

However, in a press release on Friday, Dawes cited reports that he said indicated there were 229 neonatal deaths at the hospital between October 2023 and June 2025.

“The Minister of Health, Dr Christopher Tufton, must confirm whether these figures are accurate and release the full mortality data at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital from 2020 to present,” the spokesman said.

He dismissed the explanation that prematurity was the cause of the deaths, describing it as unacceptable.

“Prematurity is a medical condition, not a cause of death. This points to a deeper systemic failure in care for newborns. Victoria Jubilee continues to suffer from overcrowding, understaffing and outdated infrastructure. There is a chronic lack of essential resources, including cooling blankets, ventilators and proper nutrition for neonates. These deficiencies, combined with inadequate staffing, compromise the hospital’s ability to manage high-risk pregnancies and provide life-saving neonatal care,” Dawes said.

He further claimed the country’s maternal mortality rate is higher than it was 30 years ago, adding that “combined with a spike in neonatal deaths, this reflects a public health system in crisis”.

Dawes called on Tufton to answer the following questions:

— How many neonatal deaths have occurred at Victoria Jubilee Hospital annually over the past five years?

— What has been done to improve outcomes?

— What budget was allocated to neonatal care?

— Was there a breakdown in infection control?

— Why was the public not informed sooner?

“Jamaicans deserve transparency and accountability. These were not statistics. These were children,” Dr Dawes said.