St Kitts: Health Ministry assures there is no shortage of oxygen at JNF Hospital

The Ministry of Health St Kitts and Nevis assured that there is no shortage of oxygen at the Joseph N. France General Hospital. The statement comes after there were social media reports claiming of oxygen shortage at the hospital.

The Health Ministry denied the claims and called them spurious and mischievous. The Ministry also condemned the falsehood and called it an

attempt to foster negative sensationalism to bring the institution and the Ministry into disrepute

"The Ministry hereby emphatically informs the general public that there is and has always been adequate amounts of oxygen at the hospital," the statement further added.

Furthermore, speaking about the two recent fatalities central to these claims, the health ministry assured that the deaths were not associated with a lack of oxygen at the hospital, nor are they related to the absence of oxygen within its emergency response vehicles and units. They also extended profound condolences to the grieving families on the loss of their loved ones.

The Ministry said it is satisfied that the standard protocol to ensure ambulances are continually maintained in a well-equipped state with the necessary supplies and staff to respond urgently and manage emergency situations. The statement further added that there has not been any breach of protocols and reaffirms its commitment to having adequate supplies of essential resources at all times at the JNF General Hospital and promoting the highest quality of care always for best health outcomes.