KINGSTON, Jamaica — The People’s National Party’s (PNP) Shadow Minister of Health, Dr Dayton Campbell, is calling on the Minister of Health, Dr Christopher Tufton, to “break his silence” on recent reports of the improper disposal of neonates at Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) morgue.

In a previous statement the PNP said the bodies were found among stray dogs in downtown Kingston.

Chairman of the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), Philip Armstrong recently ordered an immediate investigation into the circumstances under which the neonates were disposed.

In a release from his party today, Dr Campbell said that despite the information becoming public since last week and the subsequent suspension of supervisory staff at the KPH,” the minister has said nothing to the Jamaican people.”

Campbell is urging Tufton to make a public statement to “re-assure persons using the public health system that action has been taken to ensure that there is no recurrence of such a horrible incident.”

The PNP shadow minister said he considers this a complete disrespect to the people, and KPH users in particular, that Dr Tufton has not given an explanation, sympathy or apology to the public.

“The minister should also be chided for not expressing a word of comfort to grieving parents who have experienced double trauma from this most disturbing incident,” he said.

“It has not escaped the attention of many persons that on previous occasions the minister and his colleagues were extremely vocal in calling for the heads of medical and management teams as well as members of the political executive, but now hide behind silence. This is rank hypocrisy,” said Dr Campbell.