JAMAICA | PNP Health Spokesman Slams $31M 'Squandered' On Single Medical Drill

KINGSTON, April 24, 2025 - In what critics are calling "a monument to government waste," Opposition Spokesperson on Health Dr. Alfred Dawes has launched a blistering attack on health authorities over the purchase of a single neurosurgical drill at an eye-watering price of $31 million.

The purchase for Bustamante Hospital for Children has sparked outrage, with Dawes claiming similar equipment could have been acquired for less than half the cost.

"There is no justification for such an outrageous spend when so many of our hospitals and health centres are crying out for basic renovations," Dawes declared after a tense meeting with South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) leadership yesterday.

"This is a slap in the face to the Jamaican people who so desperately depend on our crumbling public health system."

The opposition's investigation has uncovered what Dawes described as "at best, gross incompetence and at worst, highly technical corruption." According to sources close to the meeting, SERHA officials attempted to deflect responsibility by claiming the procurement was driven entirely by doctors who selected the technical specifications.

Dawes rejected this explanation outright, arguing that the procurement system itself is fundamentally broken. Medical staff were reportedly presented with a false choice between drills costing either $30 million or $50 million, with no reasonable alternatives on offer.

"The doctors and technical staff cannot be blamed when they were forced into a corner without meaningful options," Dawes emphasized.

The scandal has thrown a spotlight on SERHA's procurement practices. During yesterday's meeting, Dawes pressed officials on several critical questions including the drill's brand and manufacturing date, the bidding process details, warranty provisions, and whether comparable purchases had been made at other facilities.

The answers—or lack thereof—have only deepened concerns about transparency. Dawes has accused SERHA Chairman Wentworth Charles of fostering "a culture of cover-ups and intimidation" against staff and whistleblowers.

"The Chairman has been relentless in attacking those who speak out," he charged. "His conduct reflects a pattern of coercion that has crippled the region's ability to function effectively."

Meanwhile, Jamaica's public health infrastructure continues to crumble around this gold-plated purchase. Dawes pointed to repeated closures of operating theaters at multiple hospitals including Victoria Jubilee, Kingston Public,

National Chest, and Linstead Hospital. The opposition spokesman further warned that surgeries are proceeding at KPH despite incomplete air quality tests, potentially exposing staff and patients to previously detected mold.

The controversy comes amid a broader decline in healthcare services, with Dawes noting a troubling reduction in available ICU beds across the region. For a health system already on life support, the $31 million drill purchase represents not just fiscal irresponsibility but a critical misallocation of scarce resources.

In light of these findings, Dawes has called for Chairman Charles's immediate resignation. "Jamaicans deserve leadership that prioritizes transparency, competence, and the wellbeing of the people," he said, "not one that squanders taxpayer dollars while healthcare collapses around us."

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