Opposition concerned about Health Ministry’s $3 billion debt

Concern is being raised on Monday morning about the Government's ability to maintain the public health system in the wake of reports that the Ministry of  Health has racked up more than $3 billion in debt with medical suppliers and as well as its creditors.

Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr. Fenton Ferguson is reporting that some major public hospitals are unable to provide certain critical services to the public due to a lack of working equipment.

The equipment have not been repaired due to the failure of the Health Ministry to clear its arrears.

Dr. Ferguson listed the Kingston Public and Cornwall Regional Hospitals among the affected institutions.

He is demanding that Minister of Health Ruddy Spencer provide the country with a detailed report on the amount of debt his Ministry owes.

“Because we are of the view that it must be significant if it’s over $3 billion and to that extent it must be affecting the quality of healthcare in many institutions,”

“Right now there is a serious maintenance problem. KPH can’t do any CT scan, the machines are down; Cornwall Regional Hospital can’t do any CT scan and I think the University Hospital, these are three of the premier hospitals, teaching hospitals,” Dr. Ferguson said.

The Opposition Spokesman is worried that the situation could lead to public health care being compromised.       

“If you're not able to do those critical diagnostic tests it means that you are obviously compromising the health care delivery service and so we are very disturbed about the inability to do timely maintenance work even as the government continues, unabated, to pursue policy that is obviously flawed and failing,” he said.