Ferguson to give update on infection among newborn babies at UHWI, opposition wants full disclosure

The opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) says Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson must put the national interest over any partisan interest when he updates the country this morning on the spread of an infection among newborn babies at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) in St Andrew.

The Health Minister has called a press conference for 10 o'clock to address the issue.

Opposition Spokesperson on Health, Senator Marlene Malahoo-Forte says Ferguson must disclose all the details surrounding the infection which has reportedly been spreading for almost a month.

Health officials have been unwilling to disclose further details about the infection which has been spreading in the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

A statement on Saturday noted that the agent causing the infection had been identified and was being treated.

The hospital's medical chief of staff, Professor Trevor McCartney, has declined to say how many newborns were affected by the infection.