The PNP Patriots group is calling for the immediate resignation of the Board of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and the removal of Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton, following yet another damning scandal uncovered by the Auditor General.

“The Auditor General’s findings at UHWI reveal governance failures that demand accountability, reminding the audience of its role in holding responsible leadership accountable. Equipment imported under tax-exempt status cannot be adequately accounted for. Procurement processes are in disarray. Patients suffer while systems fail. This is unacceptable,” the Patriots said in a media release.

“Boards exist to provide oversight, protect the public interest, and ensure integrity. The UHWI Board has failed on all counts. When basic accountability collapses, the only responsible action is collective resignation. Anything less is an insult to patients, staff, and Jamaican taxpayers,” the group said.

The PNP Patriots further questioned the Government’s announcement of yet another review panel in circumstances where multiple red flags have already been raised, including an internal investigation, the Auditor General’s report, and a petition from senior doctors, each pointing to a dysfunctional management culture that presided over procurement breaches and serious human-resource violations.

“In any mature democracy, such a convergence of findings would compel the resignation of the Chief Executive Officer and the Senior Director of Clinical Services. Instead, Jamaicans are being asked to accept another committee.”

The PNP Patriots rejected this approach and described the new panel as little more than a public-relations exercise announced only after the Auditor General’s report became public and months after the minister was already aware of its contents and the conclusions of the HR-ICT internal investigation.

“The broader pattern emerging from the Ministry of Health under Minister Tufton’s watch shows systemic failures that require urgent action. Over the years, Jamaicans have witnessed repeated controversies, operational failures, and governance breakdowns across the health sector. From procurement scandals to chronic mismanagement, the common denominator has been a minister who remains in office while public confidence steadily erodes,” the Patriots said.

The PNP Patriots also raised serious concerns about previous ministerial interference, including the dismissal of a former board that reportedly sought to replace the current CEO. “That history now raises a troubling question: Is the minister once again interfering with due process to shield senior managers with whom he is alleged to have close personal relationships?”

The group added: “The minister must now come clean about the nature of his relationships with senior figures at UHWI and explain whether these associations amount to conflicts of interest that compromise impartial decision-making at Jamaica’s premier teaching hospital.

“Leadership is about responsibility. When scandals become routine, leadership becomes the problem. Jamaica’s health system cannot be reformed by those who have presided over its decline.”

The PNP Patriots, therefore, demand:

• The immediate resignation of the entire UHWI Board.
• ⁠⁠The resignation of the CEO and Senior Director of Clinical Services.
• ⁠⁠The removal of Dr Christopher Tufton as Minister of Health.

The Patriots said: “Healthcare is a fundamental right for every Jamaican. Our people deserve a system led with competence, transparency, and respect for life, not one undermined by recurring failures, political interference, and weak governance. Half-measures will no longer suffice. The audience must recognise that decisive accountability and leadership reform are essential to restoring trust and improving Jamaica’s health system. Accountability must be decisive, and meaningful leadership reform is now imperative.