Opposition Spokesperson on Health and Wellness Dr Morais Guy is strongly supporting a call by the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce for an open meeting with the Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton to discuss the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH).

In a statement today (March 7), Guy said the demand was justified as the renovation of the hospital is now three years past the completion date with a massive $5-billion overrun in cost. He said the original estimate was $5-billion, which means the project is now 100 per cent over budget.

TUFTON ‘SEEMS NOW TO BE AFRAID’

The Opposition spokesperson said he had been raising the issue for years and the minister “seems now to be afraid of meeting stakeholders in Western Jamaica as the ministry has again setback completion date to March 2025, which is totally unacceptable”.

Said Guy: “The implementation of this project represents a total disaster in project planning and implementation, and it is the duty of the minister to meet to present a credible plan of action which returns CRH to full service. The cowardice approach is not to be countenanced.”

The Opposition spokesperson said that, even at this late stage, he was encouraging the minister to abandon his plan to speak to Western Jamaica on social media platforms using a virtual press conference at his ministry today.

Guy said the importance of CRH to the people of West Jamaica in general and Montego Bay, in particular, demanded that the minister leave the comfort of his ministerial environment and hold the open meeting with the community on the ground in Montego Bay, as requested by the Chamber of Commerce.

Guy said the virtual press conference was a disrespect to the people and the business community of Montego Bay, who have all been long-suffering.