Bunting slams state of public health system

Opposition Senator Peter Bunting has delivered a scathing critique of Jamaica's public health system, alleging chronic underperformance, wasteful spending, and dire consequences for citizens.

Speaking during the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on Friday, Bunting painted a grim picture of dilapidated facilities, overworked health professionals, and patients enduring inhumane conditions. He lamented the deteriorating state of public health facilities, where many Jamaicans experience prolonged waits for care, with some tragically succumbing in overcrowded passageways and makeshift wards.

"Health professionals are overworked and burnt out, and patients and their families often feel callously treated by the system," he said.

The opposition lawmaker pointed to alarming statistics that reveal a significant decline in health outcomes. He highlighted the maternal mortality rate in the Southern Regional Health Authority, which increased 10-fold between 2017 and 2022. According to Ministry of Health and Wellness statistics, maternal deaths rose from 26.8 per 100,000 live births in 2017 to a staggering 273 per 100,000 live births in 2022.

"This is significantly higher than the global maternal mortality ratio of 223 deaths per 100,000 live births," Bunting said, expressing outrage over the lack of accountability for this crisis.

Bunting took aim at what he described as misplaced priorities and nepotism within the current Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration.

"But performance doesn't matter, the lives of ordinary people don't matter. What matters is the friends and cronies of this JLP administration," Bunting charged.