The People's National Party (PNP) is calling for the immediate resignation of the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, following the deaths of 14 babies, linked to bacterial outbreaks at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH).
It also wants a comprehensive probe of the deaths.
In a media release on Thursday, General Secretary of the PNP, Dr Dayton Campbell, described Tufton's attitude to the deaths as "callous and unacceptable".
“Infection control is seminal to the management of neonatal nurseries and to leave the staff at VJH without the necessary tools to ensure this infection control is tantamount to a dereliction of duty,” he added.
The spike in the deaths of newborns has been partly blamed on a staffing crisis at neonatal units.
A health ministry review has also attributed the increase to equipment challenges and overcrowding leading into the so-called crop season, where births exceed the general monthly averages.
"It is not enough for the health minister to merely publicly admit to this tragic loss and stop short by saying a high-profile team has been sent in. This approach neither shows accountability to the families of the neonates lost nor inspires confidence in the expectant families," Campbell stated.
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