ASSESSMENT TEAMS TO BE ESTABLISHED TO EVALUATE SECURITY CONCERNS AT KPH, UHWI AND BHC

February 1, 2008 (MOH&E):

The management of the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and the Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC) has been instructed by the Minister of Health & Environment, the Hon. Rudyard Spencer, to immediately establish assessment teams to evaluate security concerns at the institutions.

The directive was given at a meeting held this week at the Hilton Hotel to address the ongoing security concerns at health facilities islandwide. This forum is the latest in a series of meetings precipitated by recent acts of violence at hospitals islandwide.

All three institutions have been given a two-week time frame within which to complete its assessment and subsequently furnish recommendations as to the long term and short term strategies that must be undertaken to improve security. Another meeting will be held in two weeks to review the recommendations.