Opposition accused of ‘carpet bombing’ health ministry
JFJ head says demands for resignations of civil servants should come after appropriate parliamentary procedures
Published:Thursday | June 27, 2024 | 12:10 AMSashana Small/Staff Reporter
While questioning the basis on which a call for the resignations of the Ministry of Health’s permanent secretary Dunstan Bryan and chief medical officer, Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie is being made, Jamaicans for Justice Executive Director Mickel Jackson says the political directorate should utilise appropriate parliamentary procedures to hold civil servants accountable.
“Parliamentary committees, such as PAAC (Public Administration and Appropriations Committee), are perhaps the most appropriate place to probe more and apply rigour of fact-finding to lead to an appropriate accountability outcome,” Jackson told The Gleaner yesterday.
The People’s National Party (PNP) on Monday demanded the immediate resignations of Bryan and Bisasor-McKenzie over what they described as their failure to “adequately perform their duties as heads of the health sector”.
The operations of the health ministry have been under scrutiny this month following the deaths of a newborn at May Pen Hospital in Clarendon and a woman at Falmouth Hospital in Trelawny after they were unable to get access to critical equipment.
Further, Bryan’s oversight of the administrative affairs of the health ministry was brought into question after it was revealed that the Auditor General’s Department is awaiting appropriation accounts spanning a decade – from 2013-2014 to 2022-2023 – to review how taxpayers’ money amounting to nearly $700 billion was spent by the ministry.
‘undue backlash’
Bryan has since blamed the death, migration, and retirement of former staff for the ministry’s inability to finalise its appropriation accounts.
However, while emphasising the importance of accountability in the public sector and stressing that it should be exercised, Jackson stated that, when a resignation call is being made for a civil servant, “it must be where the issue is so egregious and no other mechanisms of accountability would suffice and would be appropriate”.
Her statement follows concerns from the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA), that voiced its support for Bryan on Tuesday, contending that he was facing “undue backlash”.
According to the JCSA, the “recent attacks” not only undermine Bryan’s integrity and professionalism, but also pose a threat to the stability and effectiveness of the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
In condemning “any form of interference that compromises the autonomy and efficiency” of public servants, the JCSA, among other things, called for immediate action to safeguard the well-being of the permanent secretary and other public servants “from undue political pressures”.
Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has also condemned what he says is the sustained and coordinated attacks on civil servants in the health sector by the PNP.
‘Morally bankrupt’
Addressing yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in St Andrew, Tufton dismissed calls by the PNP for him and other key health officials to resign, labelling these criticisms as “spurious” and a “morally bankrupt strategy” that the Opposition is utilising to gain power.
“I would like to publicly express my deep disappointment and indeed condemnation of these unwarranted attacks on public servants, on their reputation, on their professionalism and on the institution that they represent. The Opposition has clearly decided that their best hope for political office is to pursue what I will classify as a carpet bombing strategy,” he said.
The PNP is however maintaining that the issue “of deep-seated impunity and the poor stewardship” of the health ministry demands accountability.
In a statement yesterday, the PNP noted that, in addition to the $700 billion that the health ministry is yet to give account for, other discrepancies have been highlighted within the sector. This, it said, includes more than $7 million worth of computer equipment that has gone missing, nearly $18 million spent without proper procurement documentation, and the absence of the permanent secretary’s approval for relevant contracts. Additionally, it said more than J$35 million was spent on consulting services over nine months without a competitive process or advertisement.
The PNP also questioned certain appointments to boards in the health sector
“Does this situation not demand accountability from the top echelons of the ministry? We are not criticising civil servants broadly; our concern is with a minister and a particular civil servant who has overseen this significant mismanagement. Accountability is non-negotiable, and someone must be held responsible. If not the permanent secretary and the minister, who then should Jamaicans hold to account for this gross negligence?” PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell quizzed.
Stating that the PNP will continue to advocate for enhanced resources, staffing, and training opportunities for healthcare workers, Campbell declared that the time has come for change and proper management of the country’s healthcare system that is free from political interference and mismanagement.
“Those responsible for the pillorying and poor stewardship of the health sector must resign,” he asserted.