It is the midst of the general election campaigning season, and this year, every man and his dog has a platform to sound off from.

To blame the Minister of Health, Dr Christopher Tufton, for the 24 babies that died this month at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital is unfair, indeed spurious.

Besmirching Tufton’s name, denigrating his integrity is going too far. It’s one thing to bask in your fifteen minutes of fame, another to be objective and credible.

The parents of those dead babies need dignity and compassion, not the finger wrongfully pointed at Dr. Chris Tufton. 

It is concerning that in less than one month, there have been 24 newborns discovered dead at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital.

The death of neonates cannot be used as a political football. 

The Victoria Jubilee Hospital is regarded as the main maternity centre in Jamaica and is the largest of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean.

For decades now, the hospitals in Jamaica have been inefficiently run with not enough attention being paid to bacterial outbreaks that make newborns susceptible. 

Vigilance and professionalism must be core standards that determine the operations and management of the Victoria Jubilee Hospital.

It is instructive to note that Jamaica’s well-to-do, do not have their babies in their home country, opting to depend on the more advanced medical facilities of developed countries. This is not due to Dr. Christopher Tufton’s stewardship of the health ministry portfolio.

Are proper protocols being followed at Jamaican hospitals, or doesa lack of funding prevent that? 

As a young man growing up in London, I once watched a Channel 4 documentary called ‘Jamaica ER‘ where a Jamaican doctor used a Black & Decker drill on a patient’s skull because KPH just didn’t have the necessary equipment. That left a profound impression on me, and that was well before Tufton’s time.

Former Minister of Health, Dr Fenton Ferguson, faced a salvo of opprobrium for the death of babies in 2015, and the then-opposition called for his head. He was forced to ignominiously step down as health minister and moved to another portfolio. That’s politics for you.

What chief medical officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie had to say on the Victoria Jubilee cases is revealing.

“The deaths are not attributed to an outbreak of infections. What we are seeing is an increase in the proportion of critically ill babies. Of the babies who died, 55 per cent were premature and 65 per cent had low birth weight. This adds significantly to the fragility of these babies.

“Despite the best efforts of the staff, some of these babies have unfortunately succumbed to their illnesses. This is deeply saddening and we extend our sympathies to the families.”

Rather than looking to stone Dr Tufton, why not look at the data? More critically ill babies are being born and low birth weight numbers are on the rise. Why? This, too cannot be Tufton’s fault. 

These poor souls are more prone to infections, and their chances of making it into this world, healthy and thriving day by day, are drastically reduced.

Now, in the case of the Victoria Jubilee Hospital, is this an aberration or something far more sinister? 

Perhaps better prenatal care is needed.

Answers need to be sought rather than placing a noose around Dr Tufton’s neck.

It is a situation that has endured for decades in Jamaica, which sees hospitals having to contend with a shortage of equipment, inadequate funding, staff shortages and being overwhelmed by too many patients. Is that Dr. Tufton’s fault, or is it systemic? 

It is recommended that at least five per cent of a country’s GDP should be spent on healthcare. That is said to be a crucial benchmark. Jamaica is now up to six per cent but it is still not adequate given the country’s dependence on tourism.  The fact is, Jamaica does not spend enough on healthcare.

In 2021 (during the COVID-19 years), Jamaica’s healthcare spending per capita was US$372.45 while the global average was US$1,402.97. That being said, Jamaica has made efforts to increase its spending on healthcare, with the Government paying attention to the modernisation of healthcare facilities and looking outside of Jamaica to attract healthcare professionals.

Instead of seeing dead babies and blaming them on Dr Chris Tufton, let it sink in that just 500,000 people out of 2.8 million Jamaicans have insurance, which means the vast majority of Jamaicans have to rely on overburdened public hospitals. 

This should not be politicised. Solutions are needed, not attributing blame to Tufton. Jamaica’s healthcare problems predate him.

The birth rate in Jamaica needs to be higher, more so for a country that has aspirations to attain developed status. 

Talking with Jamaican women about the prospect of becoming mothers, many say they cannot afford it, now in their thirties and forties, that ship has sailed, and they are daunted by what being a “geriatric mother” could mean. Some say there are not enough suitable men to go around, others, that they are prioritising their careers. Such are the times. Now that can’t be blamed on Tufton.