Opposition tours Kingston Public & Victoria Jubilee hospitals to assess needs

Opposition spokesperson on health and wellness, Dr Morais Guy, and junior shadow spokesperson Jesse James Clarke both embarked on a comprehensive tour of the Kingston Public and neighbouring Victoria Jubilee hospitals on Wednesday, July 19.

On the tour, the spokespersons gained first-hand insights into the current state of the healthcare facilities and assessed the challenges faced by both patients and healthcare professionals.

The People’s National Party (PNP) delegation explored various sections of the Kingston Public Hospital and Victoria Jubilee Hospital, including the Accident and Emergency Department, where they witnessed the medical staff working tirelessly on the frontline to attend to emergency cases and critical situations. The delegation also observed the conditions in the general wards, intensive care, renal and neonatal units. 

Speaking after the tour, Guy stated: “Our visit to KPH and VJH has been enlightening and informative. It has given us a clearer understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of these hospitals and the pressing issues that need urgent attention”.

He expressed that in addition to general infrastructural improvement, there is an urgent need for the plans to expand the renal dialysis unit to be expedited.

“The unfortunate reality is that a patient has to die before a spot becomes available for someone else to get treatment. This is unacceptable, and we are calling on the Government to address this issue immediately,” demanded Guy.

For his part, Clarke highlighted that one of the major issues is that the hospitals are significantly underfunded and short-staffed.

“There is a significant number of persons waiting for elective surgeries. This has been an issue for many years; however, the situation is worsening,“ asserted Clarke.

He is once again calling on the Government to fund the training of more local nurses so that they can work in our hospitals instead of depending on teams from overseas to fill the gaps.

Both Guy and Clarke expressed gratitude to the management and staff KPH and VJH for accommodating the tour and providing valuable insights into the operations and challenges faced by the healthcare institutions. They also commended them for their dedication to serving our nation despite the conditions under which they are currently working.

Noting that there has been an increase in the level of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes and high blood pressure, resulting in more citizens requiring medical care, Guy is encouraging citizens to make better choices.

He urged citizens to exercise more frequently, make healthier food choices in their diet, control their blood pressure levels where possible and take measures to prevent contracting NCDs.