'I'll have to check' ... Ferguson not certain if health audit cites dead babies

The Health Minister Fenton Ferguson is not able to say whether the audit report he ordered into the state of the health sector made reference to dead babies as a result of poor sanitation in Jamaica's hospitals.

"I'll have to check", he told Opposition MP Audley Shaw in parliament this afternoon.

Shaw had asked Ferguson whether the audit, yet to be made public, spoke specifically to the issue of dead babies.

The minister had earlier told Shaw to his questions in relation to the audit so that they may be properly answered.

But Shaw would not relent.

He put it to the minister that the audit report spoke specifically poor sanitation and dead babies.

That's when Ferguson told Shaw that he would need more time to check the audit report because he did not have it in his possession at the time.

In a series of questions from Opposition members, Ferguson also said the purpose of the health sector audit report was not to make it public.

On September 3, the permanent secretary in the Health Ministry, Dr Kevin Harvey said the ministry and several stakeholders would review the report to determine if it should be made public.

READ: Health Ministry to review audit release decision 

Harvey is yet to make any further comment about the release of the full audit report.