Tufton admits hospital airborne risks

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says poor air quality in health facilities such as hospitals can allow pathogens to circulate, increasing the risks of infections.

Tufton made the statement on Tuesday, four days after the accident and emergency department at Kingston Public Hospital was temporarily closed due to air quality issues. The minister, who was speaking at Environment Health Laboratory (EHL) international accreditation awards ceremony held at the AC Marriott Hotel in Kingston, said poor air quality causes downtime in health service delivery as measures are put in place to address air quality and ventilation issues.

"We have seen it in the extreme. Cornwall Regional was a big issue; that is how it started. We have seen it recently at Kingston Public Hospital," the minister said.

He pointed out that in humid climates like Jamaica, air conditioning is commonly used to cool buildings, which can, over time, contribute to mould growth, particularly if the systems are not properly maintained, impacting the air quality in buildings.

"It is a wider problem than we think," Tufton admitted.

The opposition People's National Party (PNP) has lambasted the health ministry over the recent situation at the KPH. Its general secretary, Dr Dayton Campbell, noted that the air quality issue comes less than a month after a mould outbreak at the same facility.

"The repeated disruption of critical emergency services at KPH is not only unacceptable but places lives at risk and highlights severe lapses in planning, oversight, and public communication," Campbell said.

He has urged the ministry to release a detailed report on the air quality assessment conducted at KPH, including the results and recommendations made following the most recent incident.