A revolution needed at the MOH

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I think the nation is in agreement that health minister Dr Fenton Ferguson should not only be fired but leave politics altogether. His incompetence and arrogance are as repulsive as they are frightening.

Babies have died and others infected from what is suspected to be the klebsiella and serratia bugs that contaminated the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies and the Cornwall Regional Hospital. The ministry responds only when stories about the crisis were made public by the media. Are we to believe that senior ministry and other medical personnel were not aware of this very dangerous situation from July 2015? Are we to believe that the media house became aware before the minister himself was made aware?

INSENSITIVITY ASTOUNDING

How on Earth can these mothers and fathers go on? And what should they make of the ministry's delayed response after the news broke, which was to release a photo of Dr Ferguson meeting with health officials? The insensitivity is astounding!

The Ministry of Health has developed a reputation for being an absolutely incompetent and soulless bureaucracy completely out of touch with what is happening in our public health-sector, and more focused on public relations initiatives aimed at propping up its minister and shielding its senior officials from criticism.

A complete shake-up is needed now. Dr Ferguson, Permanent Secretary Dr Kevin Harvey, Senior Medical Officer Marion Bullock DuCasse and the South East Regional Health Authority chairman, Dr Andrei Cooke, need to be removed from their roles. A five-year-old could realise that they simple don't cut it. They have failed us.

I weep for my country.

Christina Lawson

Jacks Hill

Kingston 6

Lawson8christina@

hotmail.com