Well being officers are investigating the deaths of not less than 24 infants at Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston since June 1, sparking issues a couple of doable outbreak on the area’s largest maternity facility.
The South East Regional Well being Authority (SERHA) confirmed to Observer On-line on Thursday {that a} high-level assembly is at present underway to evaluate the state of affairs. Nevertheless, officers haven’t but supplied particulars on the reason for the deaths, and a proper assertion is predicted as soon as the continuing evaluation is accomplished.
The Victoria Jubilee Hospital—acknowledged as the biggest maternity hospital within the English-speaking Caribbean—has confronted scrutiny up to now. In 2022, 12 infants died following a bacterial outbreak on the facility. That outbreak, recognized in July of that yr, resulted in seven deaths that month, with extra fatalities occurring by way of October.
Nationwide Information sources have indicated that there are at present no confirmed experiences of a brand new outbreak. As a substitute, it’s understood that the hospital has seen a rise in untimely births in current weeks, with a few of the infants reportedly stillborn.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jacqueline Bisasor McKenzie stated she was unable to supply an in depth remark right now.
Well being authorities are anticipated to launch extra data following the completion of the interior evaluate.
