The number of babies who died at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital from a bacterial outbreak has risen from 12 to 14, with other possible unreported cases, says Morais Guy, opposition spokesman on health and wellness.

Guy was addressing a press conference today (October 28) where he, along with Opposition Leader Mark Golding, People’s National Party (PNP) General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell and Patricia Duncan-Sutherland, opposition spokesperson on gender and culture, reiterated the party’s call for the resignation of Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton.

Guy and his colleagues extended their condolences to the families affected and promised to support the families through counselling and advocating for Tufton’s removal.

It was previously reported by Tufton that the number of babies who died from the outbreak was 12. He explained that seven babies died in July, two in August, two in September and one this month.

According to Guy, the PNP received information today (October 28) that the number had increased to 14.

“We are also hearing that Victoria Jubilee is not the only maternity institution which has that capacity to treat high dependency neonates and infants that has the problem,” said Guy.

“News coming out is that Spanish Town Hospital is even in a similar or graver state.”

He added that Tufton’s request for the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to visit the Spanish Town and Bustamante hospitals indicates that there is more he is not telling the public.

In a statement on the issue, Tufton indicated he was made aware of the issue and withheld information from the public because he feared it would cause panic.

Guy, in his presentation, noted that on two separate occasions, when Tufton spoke on the issue, he said he was made aware of the problem in two different months.

“When you listen to the minister trying to defend his position, at one stage he got the information in September, another instance he got it in August,” said Guy.

He is therefore calling for Tufton to provide a timeline of the events to give clarity on the matter.

Tufton must resign

In addition to this request, Guy called for Tufton’s resignation on the basis that he withheld crucial information from the public and parents.

In also demanding Tufton’s resignation, Golding said: “In this instance, what is particularly appalling about it was that there seems to have been a concerted effort not to have this matter come to the public’s attention.”

He added that Prime Minister Andrew Holness was also kept in the dark about the matter and, on the basis of negligence, Tufton should be removed as health minister.

Golding also called for an investigation into the matter, based on reports that the staff was warned not to make the incidents public knowledge.

In his presentation, Campbell said: “The Opposition is extremely concerned by the way in which the situation was dealt with and we are demanding a speedy investigation.”

He added that Tufton indicated a shortage of nurses was the cause of the outbreak, but he failed to list the measures that were taken to resolve the issue.

Campbell also referenced a similar incident which occurred in 2015, when then Minister of Health in the PNP administration, Fenton Ferguson, was asked to resign over the deaths of 18 children due to a bacterial outbreak in two hospitals.

He noted that, when that incident occurred, Holness petitioned the immediate resignation of Ferguson and, given the similarity with what has now come to public attention, Tufton should also resign.

“He [Holness] said Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller should stop protecting Ferguson and fire him. I commend these words to Prime Minister Holness. Stop protecting Minister Tufton and fire him,” said Campbell.

In 2015, when Ferguson was being asked to resign his post, the then minister refused and stated calls for him to resign were politically motivated.

He added that the newborns were “not babies in the real sense”, a comment which sparked uproar from the public and the then Opposition and strengthened the call for him to step aside.