KINGSTON, Jamaica– Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says the Cabinet is scheduled to receive a report on Monday on the circumstances which led to the deaths of a dozen newborn babies at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital.
Speaking on a program on Radio Jamaica, Tufton said an outbreak of the Klebsiella Pneumoniae bacteria led to the deaths of the babies.
Tufton also insisted that the Ministry did not cover up the crisis.
“There was no intention of hiding anything…I have never assumed that we should withhold information from the public when it is essential for the public to know.”
Concerning calls for his resignation from the prominent opposition People’s National Party (PNP), Tufton said he had not discussed his resignation with Prime Minister Andrew Holness, and the decision is in the hands of the Prime Minister.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Health said the outbreak at the hospital is now under control.
According to the Regional Technical Director in the Southeast Regional Health Authority, Dr. Sandra Chambers, the Ministry took immediate action after noticing an increased number of newborn deaths at the hospital in July.
She admitted that the chronic shortage of neonatal nurses could have also triggered the bacteria outbreak.
and then 