Tufton insists health system not in crisis

April 28, 2025
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton (second right), tours one of the four refurbished operating theatres at Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) on Friday, accompanied by Dr Lindberg Simpson (left), head of surgery at KPH; Joan Walker-Nicholson (second left), director of nursing services; and Joan Taylor-Henry (right) from the department of nurse management.
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton (second right), tours one of the four refurbished operating theatres at Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) on Friday, accompanied by Dr Lindberg Simpson (left), head of surgery at KPH; Joan Walker-Nicholson (second left), director of nursing services; and Joan Taylor-Henry (right) from the department of nurse management.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has rejected suggestions that Jamaica's health system is in crisis, arguing that the term is often used too casually.

The minister, addressing journalists following the reopening of four operating theatres at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) on Friday, said: "The lives saved here at KPH every single day are countless."

Four theatres at the island's premier trauma hospital were closed in February due to malfunctioning air condition and mould infestation.

Opposition Spokesperson on Health, Dr Alfred Dawes, has taken the Government to task for its management of KPH. He said the presence of mould is a direct threat to the lives of patients and the well-being of our dedicated healthcare worker.

In a media statement on April 2, Dawes said the presence of dangerous mould in clinical areas and operating theatres at KPH is "not only unacceptable, it is inhumane".

"This is not politics. This is about people. About patients. About nurses and doctors trying to care for others in conditions that endanger their own health," he added.

Last Friday, Tufton appeared to have pushed back at those comments, insisting that the 248-year-old hospital has been delivering for Jamaicans.

"This is the trauma capital of the Caribbean -- whether it's stab wounds, gunshot injuries, or car accidents -- and I urge Jamaicans who need care to come here with confidence. Despite the challenges, the staff is highly competent. We must not undermine the credibility of this institution because of personal or political agendas," Tufton said.

"We save lives every day and without it a lot of people would have died, but we have challenges. KPH is a very old infrastructure -- a 240-odd-year-old plant that have been utilise for decades. Frankly speaking, this is the first time we are seeing significant efforts as we capitalise the health system. KPH won't be left out," the health minister added.

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