Another baby dies at Cornwall Regional Hospital, bacterial outbreak blamed

Another baby has died as a result of the klebsiella and serratia outbreak at the Cornwall Regional Hospital and  the University Hospital of the West Indies.

In a statement in parliament this afternoon, Health Minister, Dr Fenton Ferguson said the death occurred at the Cornwall Regional Hospital.

This now brings the number of deaths in the outbreaks to 19.

It was previously reported that six newborns died at the St James-based hospital and 12 at the University Hospital of the West Indies in St Andrew.

Ferguson reiterated that the health ministry has implemented measures in response to the outbreaks.

He said additional initiatives are being undertaken such as the training of staff, upgrading neonatal facilities and the deployment of health workers to improve neonatal care.

Meanwhile, Ferguson said a special unit is to be set up in the health ministry to monitor public and private health facilities that treat premature babies.

He said the unit will be staffed with critical personnel.

The health minister reiterated that he acted promptly on learning about the outbreak at the University Hospital.

There have been calls for Ferguson to resign or for Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to fire him over the dead babies scandal.

READ: Two UHWI senior managers to resign over #DeadBabiesScandal

The Health Minister has said that he will not step aside and the Prime Minister has not commented on the matter.