Opposition Spokesperson on Health, Dr Alfred Dawes is calling for accountability from both the Ministry of Health and Wellness and South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) over the profligate spending of $31 million for a single neuro drill, for the Bustamante Hospital for Children where a reasonable internal costing for similar accessories would have easily cost less than half that price. 

Dr Dawes met with the SERHA leadership team to get answers to a range of critical questions about the controversial purchase of the neuro drill.  Among the questions posed were:

• What is the brand and year of manufacture of the drill?
• When and to whom were Requests for Proposal (RFP) or Bids to Tender issued?
• Were these RFPs publicly advertised, and if so, where?
• Which companies responded, and what were their respective bid amounts?
• Did any of the bids include warranty provisions, and what were their durations?
• Has any other SERHA-managed facility purchased a similar drill in the past three years?
  

Dr Dawes said troubling revelations emerged at the meeting. SERHA has attempted to frame the procurement as being solely driven by the doctors who selected the technical specifications.  The Opposition disputed the argument, noting that the procurement system is deeply flawed, leaving the doctors with no real choice. They were forced to choose between drills costing $30 million or $50 million, neither of which represented value for taxpayers. Dr Dawes emphasised that no blame can be laid at the doctors or technical staff, who had to make a decision without meaningful alternatives. He said the process should have included proper internal cost evaluations to guide more reasonable and transparent spending.

“There is no justification for such an outrageous spend when so many of our hospitals and health centres are crying out for basic renovations. This is a slap in the face to the Jamaican people who so desperately depend on our crumbling public health system”, said Dr Dawes. He has described the procurement as “at best, gross incompetence and at worst, highly technical corruption.”

He condemned the apparent lack of transparency and accused SERHA’s Chairman of spearheading a culture of cover-ups and intimidation of staff and whistleblowers. “The Chairman has been relentless in attacking those who speak out,” Dawes added. “His conduct reflects a pattern of coercion that has crippled the region’s ability to function effectively.”

Dr Dawes noted SERHA’s ongoing deterioration, citing repeated closures of operating theatres at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital, Bustamante Hospital for Children, Kingston Public Hospital, National Chest Hospital, and Linstead Hospital, as well as a decline in available ICU beds. He also warned that surgeries are being performed at KPH despite incomplete air quality tests, putting both staff and patients at risk of exposure to mould that had previously been detected.

In light of these findings, Dr Dawes is calling for the immediate resignation of Wentworth Charles, Chairman of the Board of SERHA. “Jamaicans deserve leadership that prioritises transparency, competence, and the wellbeing of the people, not one that squanders taxpayer dollars while healthcare collapses around us,” he said.