Why Minister of Health refuses to resign - How 18 baby deaths from Klebsiella and Serratia Bacteria is Public Health Scandal of 2015

18 Jamaican babies have died from the Klebsiella and Serratia Bacteria over a four month span from July 2015 to October 2015 as reported in my blog article entitled “18 Jamaican babies die from Klebsiella and Serratia - How lack of Water caused UHWI and Cornwall Hospital Babies Deaths”.

Pressure is now coming to bear on Minister of Health Dr. Fenton Ferguson to resign based on comments in the Jamaica Observer Talk Back Vox Pop as detailed in “What will it take for Dr Ferguson to resign?”, published Friday, October 23, 2015, The Jamaica Observer. 

Minister of Health Dr. Fenton Ferguson has strenuously resisted calls to resign, saying that he acted on the information when he was made aware of it and that calls for his resignation are politically motivated as reported in the article “Health Minister Rejects Calls To Resign Over Baby Death Scandal”, published Thursday October 22, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

In fact, the UHWI (University Hospital of the West Indies) has take the fall for the death of the 18 babies out of the 42 infected with the Klebsiella and Serratia bacteria as reported in the article “UHWI Takes Blame For Keeping Ferguson In Dark Over Baby Deaths, Delaying Response”, published Wednesday October 21, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

According to Chairman of the board of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) Sterling Soares, the UHWI was slow in informing the Ministry of Health about the spread of the Klebsiella and Serratia bacteria as reported in the article “UHWI blamed for not informing minister of deadly bacteria”, published Friday, October 23, 2015, The Jamaica Observer.

Mr. Soares states that had acting head of the Department of Microbiology at UHWI, Professor John Lindo, reported the infection earlier, they could have called in the Calvary, that being CARPHA (Caribbean Public Health Agency) and PAHO (Pan-American Health Organization), quote: “Professor John Lindo, acting head of the Department of Microbiology at UHWI, reported that the situation was not brought to the attention of the MOH (Ministry of Health) and by extension the minister in a timely manner. A timely report would have triggered a series of actions by the MOH and our international partners including CARPHA and PAHO”.

JMDA Dr Alfred Dawes resigns - Backlash from whistle blowing having a negative effect

Meanwhile president of the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA) Dr Alfred Dawes has resigned, due to his SERHA (South East Regional Health Authority) contract expiring and his plans to further his studies as noted in the article “Resignation not linked to baby deaths, former JMDA head says”, published Wednesday, October 21, 2015, The Jamaica Observer.
 

He instead states that the problems as exposed in the Health Audit are really a failing of the entire Health Sector and blame should be shouldered by all as noted in the article “Former JMDA President Says Blame Should Be Shared In Babies' Deaths”, published Thursday October 22, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

But if he's just opting not to renew his SERHA post as well as presidency of the JMDA, then why are reports surfacing suggesting that he's being blocked from taking on new position in the Public Health Sector as noted in the article “State blocks Dr Dawes’ applications for senior positions”, published Friday, October 23, 2015 BY KIMBERLEY HIBBERT Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer 

So why is this happening?

Ministry of Health knew about Klebsiella and Serratia Bacteria - How 18 baby deaths may become the Public Health Scandal of 2015

The Ministry of Health may be vexed with his revelations in May 2015 of what was going on in the Public Health Sector it relates to their working conditions as reported in my blog article entitled “JMDA laments bad conditions in Public Hospitals - How MOH Audit will reveal Doctors and Pharmacists stealing Supplies for Private Practice”.

The Ministry of Health's own Audit, which has yet to be release to the Jamaican public, confirms this to be true based on the details that they'd revealed as noted in my blog article entitled “Audit of Public Health Care System revealed - How the Minister of Health plans to correct these problems”.

The question on my mind and possibly some Jamaicans is whether the unreleased Public Health Sector Audit would have revealed that the infection was occurring. Worse, since the Ministry of Health has it and the Minister of Health Dr. Fenton Ferguson most likely has seen it, wouldn't that mean he knew about the problem but said nothing?

 

Somehow, there seems to be an ongoing cover-up involving the Minister of Health Dr. Fenton Ferguson and the UHWI and the Cornwall Regional Hospital involving the senior leadership.

It also appears that more than the General Election is at stake. Legal action may soon be taken by all eighteen (18) mothers with regard to the death of their babies and the other twenty four (24) mothers may join them if their babies die or are affected.

If this occurs, not only will the PNP (People’s National Party) lose the General Election, no matter what date it is called, but we may be looking at the Public Health Scandal of 2015 that'll be making news in the 2016 Year in Review and for months to come, as Public Health is service paid for by Jamaica Taxpayer.