Public pressure over 19 Baby deaths forces Minister of Health to release Health Audit - Why UHWI Legal Action for Ministry of Health Coverup is coming

It appears that Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson is finally reconsidering his position as it relates to releasing the Health Audit to the Jamaican Public.

Facing pressure from Public and Private sector groups to reveal whether or not he knew about the Klebsiella and Serratia bacterial infection spreading within the public Hospitals via the Health Audit, he has finally decided to release it as reported in the article “Ferguson Caves To Public Pressure, Health Audit To Be Released”, Published Tuesday November 3, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

He made the decision to release the Health Audit during the signing of a JA$253.1 million contract related to improving the quality of care provided for prematurely born babies as reported in the article “Health Ministry signs J$253.1-m contracts to improve newborn care”, published Tuesday, November 03, 2015, The Jamaica Observer.

This contract is part of a $2.9 billion PROMAC (Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality) project being funded by the European Union.

However his decision to release the Health Audit that had revealed the deficiencies in the Health system in September 2015 as reported in my blog article entitled “Audit of Public Health Care System revealed - How the Minister of Health plans to correct these problems” was not his.

Apparently his Cabinet colleagues had consulted with him and advised him to make that decision.  So what exactly would have caused them to have a change of heart, especially with a General election so close?

JLP has a leaked copy of the Health Audit – Dr. Fenton Ferguson timeline not adding up

The Opposition JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) had revealed that Ministry of Health had been told in the health report that the outbreak was ongoing as suggested in the article “Fenton faces fresh flak”, published Tuesday, November 03, 2015, The Jamaica Observer.

This time around, it seems, the JLP isn’t letting the PNP get away with blaming them for the Health Sector problems that have been occurring under Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson’s watch!

No timeline has been given for when he'll reveal the Health Audit or what form the release will take. Dr. Fenton Ferguson claims that he's fearful that revealing the Health Audit will prejudice the public against certain Public Health Institutions.

He also sticks to his claim that he was informed of the death of the nineteen (19) babies from the Klebsiella and Serratia bacterial infection at Cornwall Regional on Monday October 12^th 2015 and at the University Hospital of the West Indies on Friday October 16^th 2015.

So far Executive Director of the National Integrity Action, Professor Trevor Munroe, has welcomed the change of tactic by the Minister of Health, acknowledging the part that public pressure has played in the Minister chairing his mind as reported in the article “Integrity Action Director Welcomes Impending Release Of Health Audit”, published Tuesday November 3, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

But a lot of things aren't adding up.

Daryl Vaz leaks Health Audit and Incubator photo - How Ministry of Health Grand Coverup in the Dead Babies Scandal of 2015

It seems that excerpts of the Health Audit may already be public, as Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) for West Portland, Daryl Vaz of the JLP seems to have gotten his hands on a copy.

He's also on the warpath, calling for a censure motion against Minister of Health Dr. Fenton Ferguson as reported in the article “Daryl Vaz Moves Resolution For Fenton Ferguson To Be Censured”, published Tuesday November 3, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

 

This will not go anywhere as he doesn’t have the support of others on the floor for the censure motion to carry. Still he's being doing a lot more damage as the JLP seeks to get as much political mileage as they can, despite declaring that they're concerned about the people.

He had also released pictures showing Incubators being transported along Old hope Road in Liguanea, St Andrew without covering to prevent them from being contaminated by environmental pathogens, as reported in the article “Vaz Questions Transportation Method For Incubators”, Published Sunday November 1, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.  

 

Since the release of the picture, UHWI Chairman Sterling Soares has requested a report on the delivery of the equiptment as reported in the article “Incubator Transport Guidelines Clear – Soares”, Published Tuesday, November 3, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

According to UHWI Chairman Sterling Soares, the delivery was from PROMAC and consisted of infant warmers and carriers, photo-therapy lamps, and a recovery bed and stretcher as reported in the article “UHWI chairman alarmed by photo released by Vaz”, published Tuesday, November 03, 2015, The Jamaica Observer.

Opposition Senator Audley Shaw of the JLP had even quoted excerpts of the Health Audit at a mass rally in Clarendon on Sunday November 1st 2015 as reported in the article “Shaw Unveils Health Audit Finding ... Says Ministry Knew Of Infectious Outbreak From August”, published Sunday November 1, 2015 by Livern Barrett, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

His reading suggests that the Ministry of Health knew about the Klebsiella and Serratia bacterial infection as well as the dead babies.

This means that a cover-up involving the Ministry of Health of other ministries as well is possible, to quote Opposition Senator Daryl Vaz of the JLP: “Based on the timeline and what is being revealed by snippets of the report, it is now clear that the Government must immediately publish the complete Audit report; and if it confirms what is now in the public domain, we would expect that sanctions would have to be levied against the Minister and All others involved in this grand cover-up. The country demands no less”.

 

Many Jamaicans are eager to see the Health Audit as like me, they suspect that it may have revealed that he knew about the Klebsiella and Serratia bacterial infection as my blog article entitled “19 Babies now dead from Klebsiella and Serratia bacterial infections - How More Babies will Die as Drought continues” has suggested.

Minister of Health and CMO yet to resign - Mother of dead babies taking Legal action against UHWI

So far only two (2) Managers at the UHWI (University Hospital of the West Indies), CEO (Chief Executive Officer) at UHWI, Dr Cecil White and Medical chief of staff, Professor Trevor McCartney, have resigned but the Minister of Health and the CMO (Chief Medical Officer) Dr Marion Bullock-Ducasse are yet to resign.

Their story isn't over, as they're to face questioning from the Public Defender, Arlene Harrison Henry as reported in the article “University Hospital Officials To Face Public Defender On Friday Over #DeadBabiesScandal”, Published Tuesday November 3, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner

 

Already Dr. Winslade Bowen, the Florida-based neonatologists who looked at the bodies of the nineteen (19) dead babies, has declared that the lack of proper hygiene, such as trimming nails and constant washing of hand with anti-septic soap contributed to Klebsiella and Serratia bacterial infection as reported in the article “United States-Based Jamaica-Trained Expert Heartbroken Over Deaths Of 19 Babies”, published Sunday November 1, 2015 by Erica Virtue, The Jamaica Gleaner.

 

He also called out the callous nature and disregard for life being displayed by official in the Ministry of Health as relates to their handling of the death of the nineteen (19) babies.

Meanwhile we may be on the cusp of the spread of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) at the Bustamante hospital for children as well as to other Public Health Hospitals, specifically the St Ann's Bay Hospital and the Victoria Jubilee Hospital as predicted in my blog article entitled “MRSA at Bustamante Hospital for Children since July 2015 - Why continued Drought will see increase Bacterial Infections”.

Surprisingly, calls are sounding out to the Office of the Prime Minister for a higher level of accountability from the JMA (Jamaica Manufacturers' Association) and the PSOJ (Private Sector Organization of Jamaica) as reported in the article “Private Sector Calls For Accountability Over Dead Babies”, published Tuesday November 3, 2015 by Anastasia Cunningham, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Clearly, they are calling for the head of Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson and the CMO (Chief Medical Officer) Dr Marion Bullock-Ducasse. But worse is yet to come, as the UHWI, who took the fall for the death of the nineteen (19) babies, are about the face the firing squad.

Already, two (2) mothers whose babies were among the nineteen (19) that died have hired Attorney-at-law Bert Samuels in a bid to get financial compensation for the suffering and wrongful deaths cause by the UHWI's negligence in handling their prematurely born babies as reported in the article “…. Mothers Demand Compensation For Dead Babies”, published Sunday November 1, 2015 by Barbara Gayle, The Jamaica Gleaner 

Eventually, I suspect, more reports of legal action will be forthcoming from the other seventeen (17) mothers, as they too will gather themselves after their loss, hire their lawyers and take the UWHI to court.

We may be looking at a full blown bacterial infection as the Drought is still ongoing across Jamaica as the drought isn’t over yet as predicted by Dr. Michael Taylor in my blog article entitled “Dr. Taylor links Climate Change to increase in Diseases in Jamaica - Dengue, Pink Eye and Zika Virus coming and Asthma rising”.

Something tells me this Health Scandal of 2015 is more than just the death of nineteen (19) babies from Klebsiella and Serratia bacterial infection as other players who haven’t been revealed may be involved.

Release the Health Audit!