KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) has added its voice to those calling for a full and impartial investigation into the questionable procurement practices at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), as unveiled in a damning audit report from the Auditor General’s Department (AuGD).

Following the tabling of the report in the Parliament on January 13, the board of management of the hospital indicated that it had reported to the police fraud squad and Jamaica Customs specific matters from the audit report, which flagged the hospital for a raft of contract procurement breaches and misuse of its tax-exempt status. That misuse reportedly benefited private companies, costing the country hundreds of millions of dollars.

The audit report revealed considerable deficiencies in UHWI’s governance, procurement, and contract management processes, which, if not addressed, ”could increase the risk of corruption and undermine UHWI’s ability to deliver quality health care services”.

Newly-elected President of the JCC, Bishop Garth Minott, has responded.

“The issues raised in the report extend beyond technical or administrative matters. They speak to deeper questions of governance, stewardship, and public trust,” he said.

“Public institutions do not manage abstract resources; they manage funds drawn from the labour, taxes, and sacrifices of Jamaican households,” Minott added.

Continuing, the JCC president said, “Public money is a sacred trust because it is tied to human life and dignity. When that trust is weakened, the consequences are felt most acutely by those who depend on public services at moments of vulnerability”.

Minott argued that from the perspective of the churches, weaknesses in public health governance are never victimless.

“Failures in procurement systems can translate into delayed care, inadequate facilities, inefficient services, and additional costs borne by families already under strain. These burdens ripple outward from the hospital into households and communities, increasing anxiety, disrupting work and family life, and eroding confidence in institutions meant to protect life”.

The JCC said it was especially mindful that these impacts are not gender-neutral.

“In Jamaica, caregiving responsibilities fall disproportionately on women: mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and female health workers who often absorb the hidden costs of systemic inefficiency. When health systems falter, women carry a greater share of the emotional labour, financial pressure, and unpaid care. Governance failures, therefore, become a matter of gendered injustice, reinforcing inequalities that the nation has long pledged to confront,” the JCC said.

The umbrella church group noted that the auditor g eneral’s findings are not determinations of criminal guilt.

“We therefore call for all follow-up actions to proceed fairly, lawfully, and without prejudice. At the same time, accountability must be meaningful. Transparency delayed, corrective action postponed, or responsibility blurred only deepens public mistrust and prolongs harm,” it said.

Meanwhile, the JCC is urging the leadership of UHWI, together with the relevant oversight authorities, including the Ministry of Health and Wellness, to respond with clarity and urgency by publishing and implementing a time-bound corrective action plan.

According to the JCC, this moment calls the nation to moral reflection. “Hospitals are places where the ethical character of a society is tested; where policy meets pain, and where systems must serve people at their most fragile,” it stated.

The JCC said it stands ready to support efforts toward reform, restoration, and renewed public confidence.