Mayor of Lucea calls for Tufton’s resignation
Published:Monday | November 14, 2022 | 12:05 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
MAYOR OF Lucea and Chairman of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC), Sheridan Samuels, has come out in support of the call from his political comrades for Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton to step down or be fired from that ministry.
Samuels is chairman of the People’s National Party (PNP)-led Hanover HMC, which has four sitting PNP councillors to three Jamaica Labour Party councillors.
The issue of either the dismissal or resignation of Tufton has been topical within the PNP, with its members seen participating in several demonstrations across the island, while calling for Tufton to resign or be fired by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, from that ministry, since the matter that has been described as ‘the dead-babies scandal’ arose a few weeks ago.
Tufton is being blamed for keeping the matter of the death of 12 babies at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital from bacterial infections hidden, both from his fellow Cabinet ministers and the nation.
In his defence, Tufton claims that he did not want to spark any public hysteria or alarm within the country by disclosing the deaths of the babies. He claimed that additionally, there was a downturn in the number of deaths during August in comparison to previous months, which would indicate that health officials are getting a handle on the infections and deaths.
DEMONSTRATIONS
Several peaceful demonstrations have taken place at several health institutions across the island since news of the passing of the babies broke.
At the beginning of the November meeting of the HMC, Samuels stated that he was saddened by the news of the dead babies, and called for more transparency from within the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
“When we go to the hospital, we not only go there to feel safe, we go there because we think that we are going to be safe, and if we go there and have to be asking the question, ‘Am I going to come out of here alive?’ it is really sad,” Samuels argued.
“I am dissatisfied with the Ministry of Health, I am dissatisfied with Minister Tufton,” he stated, adding that recent reports about discrepancies uncovered within the Ministry of Health and Wellness have increased his level of dissatisfaction.
The Lucea mayor made mention of the recent dismissal of an executive member of the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ), while he questioned why the Ministry of Health and Wellness and Minister Tufton are not being held to the same high standards, to exhibit the same levels of efficiency as required within the HAJ.
Samuels said that Tufton should do the honourable thing and step aside, as most Jamaicans have lost faith in the stewardship of the health ministry.
Recent reports coming from the minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for information, Robert Morgan, are that the Government is pleased with the management of the situation by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the minister. Morgan described the handling of the issue as commendable.