Performance audits of UHWI, CRH sent to Parliament
Published:Friday | January 9, 2026 | 12:09 AMEdmond Campbell/Senior Parliamentary Reporter
When Parliament reconvenes next Tuesday for its first sitting of the New Year, a pivotal performance audit report examining public health procurement related to infrastructure at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) and the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) is expected to be laid on the table of the House.
The Auditor General’s Department (AuGD) delivered the report to Gordon House, the seat of Jamaica’s Parliament, this week.
In announcing its audit last year, the AuGD said “hospital infrastructure” includes construction projects, major refurbishments, equipment purchases, information systems, consultancy services, and other related services.
“The audit will assess the procurement processes for these activities to determine their compliance with the Government of Jamaica’s Handbook of Procurement Procedures. It will also evaluate whether these processes align with the principles of value for money and uphold good governance practices,” the AuGD stated.
The CRH, which has been bedeviled by inordinate delays in the rehabilitation exercise, has come under the microscope of the AuGD.
Work on the Type A hospital has been ongoing since noxious fumes caused closure of major sections of the health facility in 2016. The CRH restoration project has missed a number of deadlines and now has a hefty price tag of $23.5 billion. The original projection for completion was September 2018, with the initial cost set at $2 billion.
In October 2025, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said the restoration work on CRH could be completed before the projected September 2026 deadline.
Under the theme ‘Ensuring Value for Money in Public Health Procurement’, the AuGD has completed the first audit on the CRH and the UHWI.
Performance audits will form part of a series of audits in public health facilities across the country.
ASSESSING EFFICIENCY
The AuGD says the primary goal of these audits is to assess the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of public health procurement processes in ensuring that maximum value is received from the limited resources available.
As part of its strategic audit planning process, the AuGD engaged a diverse group of stakeholders who identified procurement as a critical area needing enhanced audit oversight.
A review of the government budgets indicated that approximately $517 billion was allocated for public health expenditure between the fiscal years 2019-20 and 2023-24, reflecting an increase from $76 billion in 2019-20 to $134 billion in 2023-24.
The AuGD said that despite this significant investment, stakeholders continued to express concerns regarding the state of public health infrastructure and the ongoing challenges faced in delivering healthcare services, highlighting that public health funding remained a critical issue.