The line in the sand for the PNP part 12: That baby scandal .....

Gleaner's Lamay says it well again 

To vote for a party who takes my health and that of others and a parliamentary opposition who has offered no alternatives albeit they were the ones when in power made public health care free but this PNP administration who opposed the change cannot go back to charging as popularity hinges near.

Given also last week’s development by the Justice Minister and bating the CCJ with the awful homophobia on the hook just shows us how desperate this administration is and will grab at anything to win this election as their ass is on the line. Given the one term curse that affected the JLP in the 2011 race breaking years of tradition of multiple wins by incumbent administrations I am sure the PNP is worried and rightfully so, their performance overall is abysmal. Also see: Justice Minister exploits homophobia to gain CCJ support

So the cabinet has been reshuffled with the vice president of the PNP Dr Fenton Ferguson and now former Health Minister but he retains his seat and membership in the PNP as it may bear heavily on the East St Thomas seat he has held for so long as it was a former JLP seat in previous years. The action by the Prime Minister though forced by the Jamaica Manufacturers Association and other civil society groups especially with the vocal Nadeen Spence. The timing to shift Ferguson is obviously a way to reduce the haemorrhaging taking place in the PNP from this scandal and it seems the PNP were out of touch with the realities until that meeting she was a part of with the aforementioned groups.

see: More Turmoil For PNP In East Portland, Comrades Storm Out Of Meetings In Rejecting Bloomfield (Gleaner)

today's headline

Mrs Simpson Miller did not fire Ferguson from the cabinet but it amounts to a demoting as he is now or will be another ministry; The Labour & Social Security. If she had fired Ferguson she would have essentially ushered the JLP’s Delano Sevreight into the seat and he has been placing a lot of pressure on Ferguson. The PM has to balance prime ministerial and local especially this close to an election and given the polls and the statistical dead heats added to the apathy or disillusionment from younger persons this move by her (suspected directed by P. J Patterson behind the scenes) is crucial.

The public is angry and the articulate minority on social media is fuming, the so called audit reports are damning to say the least for example:

the reports for download, they make for disturbing reading:

Download

Download

They also can be downloaded below:

1. South East Regional Health Authority
2. North East Regional Health Authority
3. Southern Regional Health Authority
4. Western Regional Health Authority

KEY FINDINGS

1.1 OPERATING THEATRE (0.T) MRH and MPH

i. There was shortage of linen (towels, D&C split, leggings, sheets, Mayo stand covers), gowns (both patient and Doctors) and drapes (table drapes, screens)

ii. There was an adequate supply of colour coded bags, cleaning and sterilizing agents, sharps containers, kick buckets and toiletries; although it was reported that there were instances of shortage however, once supplies were received by the Stores it was delivered to the various wards or departments at the facility.

iii. An adequate supply of stationery was provided for documentation purposes.

iv. Due to the nature of the Operating Theatre the supply of caps and overshoes was insufficient to meet the requirements of the facility, thus, persons with theatre shoes were not always privileged to wear overshoes. Goggles and face shields were not provided at the facility.

v. The Operating Theatres were not equipped with the correct hand washing faucet; the theatres had manual faucets which required direct contact with the individual.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (NERHA)

The North East Regional Health Authority is dedicated to the delivery of safe and efficient health care, hence: the prevention of infection through an active infection control committee; the proper maintenance of critical equipment; adequate supply of pharmaceuticals and sundries are among the main goals of the authority. It was against this background that the management team since the beginning of this fiscal year has been hosting monthly meetings of the Region’s Quality Assurance (QA) Committee which comprises five (5) sub- committees: Clinical Effectiveness and Risk Management Committee, Infection Control Committee, Health and Safety Committee, Drugs and Therapeutics Committee and Customer Service Committee. This monthly meeting has been serving the function of highlighting and addressing all concerns that affect the effective and efficient functioning of all health facilities in the Region. 

MAJOR FINDINGS 

The audit carried out gave light to a number of situations: 

1. The supply of a number of critical pharmaceuticals is at times less than 50% of demand. 

2. Standard operating procedures as it pertain to the management of health facility waste and procedures for cleaning and decontamination of instruments is not always adhered to by staff. 

3. The Region is faced with a chronic shortage of pharmaceuticals due to insufficient supplies of drugs from the National Health Fund. 

4. Along with shortages of critical equipment within the MONIA areas there is a lack of calibration and diagnostic tools within the region to ensure optimum functioning of equipment. 

MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS 

Based on our findings some of the major recommendations were as follows: 

1. There is need for ongoing training of staff in infection control measures relative to their skills area. 

2. There is greater need for the integration of efforts by all health delivery areas to improve the quality of care delivered to clients. 

3. Documented schedules of cleaning activities in all MONIA areas are needed. 

4. Scheduled maintenance of critical equipment is done on a daily basis and is monitored from a regional level. The tools that analyse the functionality of these critical equipment are needed. 

Clovis of the Observer portrays the sentiments from some quarters after his revelations earlier this year

Dr Alfred Dawes of the Medical Doctor’s Association of Jamaica, MAJ had told us several of the findings which led to the so called audit being ordered when the Minister and such knew of this from May2015. Can we continue with the Chief Medical Officer, CMO Dr Marion Bullock Ducasse and the Permanent Secretary Dr Kevin Harvey with the regional health authorities; where were they when they were needed? Worse yet the regional heads told the nation in an arrogant statement that our system was the envy of the world and that they (appointed and serving at the Ministers’ pleasure) were confident in him as the Minister but apparently the PM now sees things otherwise. Dr Andre Cook from SERHA, Michael Stewart from SRHA, Mr Gordon from NERHA and Calvin Brown from Western region in my eyes cannot stay as they have made their tenure problematic by that press release of theirs.

Dr Marion Bullock Ducasse is in a very difficult place right now as two of her points at that Jamaica House press briefing with support from the tacky Minister of Information Sandrea Falconer contradict the very audit reports now in the public domain. She indicated no infection outbreak was mentioned in the audit report; she is also contradicted by the former chief of staff of UHWI where she indicated that correspondence sent to her on September 7 did not mention a current outbreak but the letters read on air by the former CMO Professor McCartney of UHWI clearly says there was a current outbreak at the time.

One would have thought that several of the items barring the use of the term or word ‘outbreak’ the findings were damning including the reuse of what should be one use items or disposables. The report is screaming that it was a disaster waiting to happen. Not to mention possible law suits.

How did we get to this awful stage in our health services?

What has cabinet been up to or alert the relevant persons to the management decline obviously here?

The regional authorities in this decentralised system, the systems have a colossal failure in the management systems; what are they discussing in meetings or planning?

Who is monitoring the systems that simple things can go so bad and blatant shortages?

This is not just resources but management failure; this audit must be used as a baseline and include some monitoring at the civil society level and in house similarly to the EPOC to establish how to improve and maintain or evaluations when needed. Audits need to become periodic. Have any prior audits available and what did those audits reveal? We also need to unpack the regional authorities of the political hacks who clearly have no capacity to think clearly and manage their portfolios for effective service and results. What is even more disturbing to me is the governance overall, it took so long for the Prime Minister to act after bring effectively cornered. 

Audley Shaw's advocacy nicely captured by Jamaica Observer's Clovis has been point as of late, thankfully the stereotyping of gays is off his mind in his toons, Also see: 

Ferguson: Jamaica’s health care not among the worst

The attempt by media houses to get the reports prior to their publishing via the access to information act and the stonewalling or obvoscating is also disturbing; all kinds of delays to include some dubious review by the Attorney General and then sending media houses on a wild goose chase to appeal by the committee. Is it that the Attorney General’s review is now of and there is nothing in the reports that suggest they are categorised as exempt documents. I have read all four and am deeply bothered by these developments. I hope we learn that citizens’ actions can produce results if we stick to the issues at hand.

Why the Attorney General’s office is is being or was being used to frustrate the public and media in simply seeking information or truth? Follow up is so needed now and not let this slack off again but we are not a good nation or have a culture of vigilance or follow up. Nobody should be allowed to enter parliament after this election on some half baked nonsense to suggest to just elect them and all will be well.

also see: Letter Of The Day: Holness' Crime Rhetoric Reckless, Pathetic (Gleaner Nov 4)

The Observer poll also reflects the sentiments out there:

Let us see what the Prime Minister will have to say in her address later, frankly I am gonna get some rest from partying last night and DJing, I have to eat otherwise you know.

Until next time.

also see: parts  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 & 8 & 9 & 10 & 11 in this series.

and Ian Boyne: The Uncommitted And The Election (Gleaner)

Peace & tolerance

H