JAMAICA | "Racist" Britisher lands US$5M contract to digitize Jamaica's health Records?

KINGSTON, Jamaica. March 25, 2024: Opposition Spokesman on Health & Wellness, Dr. Alfred Dawes, is urging the Ministry of Health and Wellness to explain to Jamaica the nature of its US$5M contract with UK based company The Phoenix Partnership (TPP), for the digitization of electronic health records.

The significance of this contract has been heightened due to recent events involving The Phoenix Partnership's owner, Frank Hester, who has been embroiled in controversy following racially abusive remarks directed at UK Member of Parliament, Diane Abbott.

Hester's unacceptable comments have sparked widespread condemnation and demands for accountability, including protests urging that the millions in political contributions made to the Tory Party  be returned as well as calls for the National Health Service to cancel their TPP contracts.

The MOHW and The Government of Jamaica on the other hand have been silent on the matter. To add insult to injury, the fact that Hester does business in Jamaica has been used by Lord Marland as “proof” that Mr. Hester cannot be racist.

That the government of Jamaica is allowing its dealings with Mr. Hester to be used as a rebuttal to the activism of black Britons, the diaspora and their supporters is an egregious offence against our proud history of the struggle against oppression.

Beyond the moral objections to conducting business with an overt racist, there are serious concerns surrounding the procurement process of the contract. The initial Request for Proposals invited tenders for a 2.4M USD contract and yet the contract signed with TPP was valued at USD5 million.

We are asking for clarification as to why there was a variation of over 100% at a time when the MOHW is facing questions as to how the Cornwall Regional Hospital project has seen cost overruns costing taxpayers 20 billion dollars up from 2 billion dollars.

Additionally, the MOHW is still unable to account for how more than $400 million was spent during the COVID19 response and is one of two ministries fingered by the Accountant General as not being able to explain adequately how $1.3 trillion has been spent. The other ministry being the Ministry of Education under the watch of former minister, Ruel Reid.

Dr. Dawes emphasizes the urgent need for the Ministry to address both the moral and financial aspects of this issue. The lack of transparency and accountability is unacceptable, especially considering the scrutiny from both the international community and Jamaican taxpayers.

The UK Guardian publication reports that "Frank Hester, who is the biggest conservative political donor, has been under fire in Britain,  for telling colleagues that “looking at Diane Abbott (of Jamaican descent) makes you “want to hate all black women” and said the MP “should be shot.”

“Frank Hester, who has given £10m to the Tories in the past year, said in the meeting that he did not hate all black women. But he said that seeing Abbott, who is Britain’s longest-serving black MP, on TV meant “you just want to hate all black women because she’s there,”  The Guardian reported.

"Hester, a businessman from West Yorkshire, runs a healthcare technology firm, the Phoenix Partnership (TPP), which has been paid more than £400m by the NHS and other government bodies since 2016, primarily to look after 60m UK medical records. He has profited from £135m of contracts with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in less than four years.

"Hester gave £5m to the Conservatives in May 2023 and announced this month a further £5m donation, which had been accepted by the party from his company in November last year. With months to go before the next general election, a party spokesperson confirmed he was now its “biggest ever donor” The Guardian said.

 

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