President of the People’s National Party (PNP) Women’s Movement, Patricia Duncan Sutherland, is calling on Prime Minister Andrew Holness to ask for the resignation of Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton, following the deaths of 24 newborns at Victoria Jubilee Hospital since the start of June.

The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) attributed the deaths primarily to prematurity. However, Duncan Sutherland says this response is not only insufficient but insulting, given the ministry’s failure to equip the hospital to handle high-risk births and Dr Tufton’s refusal to accept responsibility or outline any solutions to prevent future tragedies.

“If as minister, your only public response is to suggest that mothers should ‘do better’ during pregnancy, then you have utterly failed the women of this country,” said Duncan Sutherland. “There has been no accounting for what resources were needed versus what was supplied. No plan. No solution. No compassion.”

The PNP Women’s Movement condemns what it sees as an alarming pattern of neglect and blame-shifting by Dr Tufton. This latest tragedy follows a damning PAHO report on Jamaica’s neonatal death rate in 2022, a report the minister initially dismissed until public pressure forced a response.

“This is not the first time the nation has buried its babies while the minister hides behind excuses,” Duncan Sutherland said. “How much more should this country suffer under his leadership?”

The Women’s Movement forcefully rejects any narrative that places responsibility on mothers for systemic healthcare failures. Every mother in Jamaica deserves access to a health facility that is adequately staffed, properly resourced, and fully prepared, especially when dealing with vulnerable, premature births.

“We still don’t know what was missing. Was it ventilators? Was it medication? Was it trained staff? What we do know is that 24 babies died, and those deaths may have been prevented if the hospital was prepared,” Duncan Sutherland added. “This is more than a health crisis. It is a moral and leadership crisis.”

The PNP Women’s Movement is demanding immediate and concrete action:

• A full public report on neonatal deaths at Victoria Jubilee Hospital from 2020 to the present.
• A detailed breakdown of staffing, equipment, and supply shortages in June.
• Immediate disclosure of updated neonatal care protocols to prevent further deaths.
• The resignation of Minister Tufton for his failure to lead, respond, or demonstrate accountability.
• The provision of state-funded psychological and grief counselling for all affected families, to support their healing and recovery in the wake of this devastating loss.

“This tragedy is not about numbers; these were children, and their mothers are now forced to grieve in silence while the government offers blame instead of support. These families deserved better. Jamaica deserves better,” shared Duncan Sutherland.