PM awaits oxygen deaths probe
Published:Thursday | September 9, 2021 | 12:11 AM
Prime Minister Andrew Holness says his administration is awaiting a report from health officials and the relevant authorities into allegations that patients died during the oxygen shortage crisis little more than a week ago before making further pronouncements on the issue.
A Gleaner probe last week found that at least eight persons, including a pregnant woman, who died in hospitals may have been starved of the life-saving gas.
Holness told journalists on Wednesday that all hospital deaths must be properly investigated. However, he did not address whether his administration would support an independent inquiry into the deaths.
“One of the challenges, of course, many of the persons who have, unfortunately, passed would have also had comorbidities and other issues underlying, so there has to be definitely an investigation into identifying what actually was the cause,” Holness said during a COVID-19 sensitisation tour in northeast St Andrew and central Kingston.
The prime minister argued that the oxygen shortage was caused by force majeure, stressing that it was beyond the control of the suppliers.
With a shortage of oxygen affecting both developed and developing countries, Holness said that Jamaica was no different from other countries that faced that challenge.
“This is the definition of a crisis – the resources that you have at your disposal are stretched and not sufficient to address the challenge that you have at hand,” the prime minister said.
Holness said that the administration responded quickly last week to the oxygen challenge to ensure that shortages were immediately addressed.