118 active ventilators in public health system, says Tufton

By Kimone Witter 

   

Health & Wellness Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says an audit has found that there are 118 ventilators in operation in the public health system.

 

Dr. Tufton says this is out of 210.

 

The ministry held a press briefing on Thursday morning in response to questions by Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr. Alfred Dawes over the whereabouts of the 105 ventilators donated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The comments arose following the death of a newborn at May Pen Hospital.

 

Dr. Tufton said all ventilators in the public health system are accounted for, as he gave a breakdown of the number being used, serviced and obsolete. 

 

"Forty are going through a process of maintenance, for one reason or the other...and in some instances, of that 40, some are waiting on parts for servicing. The rest are obsolete. They are not functional. They can't be used. So I say without fear or favour, and I ask anyone who has alternative knowledge or data at what other point has public health [had] in active use as much as 118 ventilators? I know of no other period and I've done some checks. And if you add the 40, which will come back in operation at some point, either from maintenance or from parts to be replaced, that even adds to a much larger core of ventilators in the system," he outlined. 

 

The Health Minister also responded to an allegation by Dr. Dawes that some operable ventilators that had been donated were in storage.

 

Dr. Dawes had speculated that at the end of the audit of the equipment, these could be commissioned into service.

 

But Dr. Tufton rubbished the assertion, saying these ventilators cannot be used. 

 

"I know of no ventilators in a box. There were some ventilators that were taken, that were received as a gift from the Saudi Arabian government, I believe...that were not able to be used because of technical issues. It was not, as I understand it, as is being alleged, as a result of a lack of training," he insisted.