No money problem

Declaring that there is no money issue involved in addressing the challenges facing Jamaica’s public-health facilities, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says “systemic defects” are behind the ills affecting some operations at hospitals.

He made the declaration at a press conference on Thursday in defence of his ministry’s stewardship of the sector, following a Gleaner report that spinal surgery for an 11-year-old girl diagnosed with scoliosis was put off because of challenges with one of the operating theatres at the Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC).

Tufton said arrangements are being made to have the surgery performed at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

That disclosure came after the lead surgeon and a team of doctors from the United States were forced to postpone the surgery because air conditioning, among other things, in the operating theatre was not up to standard.

The surgery for the young girl, Ajanae Parchment, is expected to take six to eight hours and requires high-functioning AC.

Yesterday, Tufton sought to clarify the issue while maintaining that the BHC has facilitated 1,900 surgeries since January.

“There is no money issue in fixing the AC here (Bustamante). If I could wave a magic wand and the AC is fixed tomorrow, and it costs $20 million, $20 million would be paid,” said Tufton, who added that the ministry’s budget has increased from $60 billion to $140 billion over eight years.

“We’re going to have to find a way to fix the problem, but these problems are not isolatedly the fault or the burden of a government or indeed even of a management. It’s a systemic problem that we’re going to have to fix,” he told journalists at the BHC.

The minister said the culture and the history around how the country has operated in terms of the health sector has been “suboptimal” in several ways, and more specifically, concerning maintenance.

He said that while billions of dollars are being spent to build out and improve health facilities, a similar approach must be taken to have a more efficient culture around maintenance.

“Because otherwise, we will spend money and not realise the true equivalences and savings, and lives depend on it,” said Tufton.

Time for policy to change

He divulged that the operating theatre at the BHC has been having central air-conditioning problems from as far back as April.

He said the supplier of the system was fired after the company failed for five months to resolve the problem.

He said a second supplier has been hired, but six weeks later, the challenge remains.

Tufton said the second company had committed to solving the problem within two weeks but has since stalled.

The health minister said it is time for policies to change around how these matters are handled.

“Jamaica, right now, in terms of public health, doesn’t have a money problem. I am prepared to say that without apology. As it relates to the basic necessities of public health, personal protective gear, diagnostic and basic stuff, we don’t have a money problem.

“We have, in a number of cases, a management problem in terms of some of these decisions; maybe a leadership problem in terms of people showing initiative; and in this case (Bustamante), a maintenance problem. We have a serious problem with those who we contract to provide supporting services to make sure that the plant (hospital) works. This is the problem right here at Bustamante. That’s the problem down at Victoria Jubilee Hospital,” the minister said.

As a solution, Tufton said he has asked for draft terms of reference to engage a private entity that possesses a suite of skill sets and experience to coordinate the overall maintenance of public-health facilities.

“So they will come and routinely check the leaking pipes, the toilet leaking, the air-conditioning units, the elevators, the lights going on and off, the electrical system as a routine as opposed to just when things break down,” said Tufton.

He said it is expected that within a few weeks, he will be able to take a document to Cabinet for discussion.

“So that, hopefully, will be one of the future solutions to the problem,” said Tufton.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com