KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Ministry of Health and Wellness is awaiting a report from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on the discovery of a cluster of Klebsiella pneumoniae infections at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH) which resulted in the deaths of 11 babies between July and September this year.
Health Minister Dr. Christopher TuftonHealth Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton told the House of Representatives on Tuesday that PAHO was asked to carry out an independent assessment as to what may have been the issues, “out of an abundance of caution”.
He said PAHO was also asked to inspect other institutions, such as Spanish Town and Bustamante Hospitals.
“I am now awaiting the final report from PAHO,” Dr. Tufton said.
He confirmed last week that the babies had died from Klebsiella pneumoniae at the neonatal unit of VJH in Kingston.
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a bacterium that is responsible for a significant proportion of hospital-acquired infections. These include pneumonia and soft tissue infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals, such as newborn children or neonates.
Dr. Tufton explained that in July, the Southeast Regional Health Authority (SERHA) discovered a bacterial infection at VJH, which triggered an immediate investigation and Ministry notification.
He said the investigation revealed a high patient-to-staff ratio and non-conformance with some infection-prevention and control (IPC) measures.
The Minister explained that a plan was subsequently developed by a team from VJH, together with personnel from SERHA, the Kingston and St. Andrew Health Department, the National Public Health Laboratory and the Ministry’s IPC team, to address the issues identified.
This plan, Dr. Tufton outlined, involved cohorting confirmed and suspected cases, with new admissions being placed in a separate area; activation of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to evaluate the circumstances surrounding the increase in cases and oversee the relevant interventions for resolving the situation; increased surveillance to identify trends and patterns in incidence on the unit; redeployment of clinical officers to provide support for the unit as demands increased; and preparation of a critical-needs list for the urgent procurement of the items to discontinue the reuse of single-use items.
The plan also includes coordination of swabbing and urgent deep-cleaning activities under the supervision of the local health department; evaluation of routine cleaning protocols and implementation of supervised cleaning and disinfecting activities; and retraining team members in IPC protocols along with close, direct supervision by the nurse in charge and the IPC team on the unit.
“Towards the end of August, I was briefed on the situation at VJH by the team at the Ministry of Health and Wellness. By then, the efforts appeared to have been working, with a decline in the number of deaths. There were two deaths in August, two in September, coming from seven in July. There were no deaths in October,” Dr. Tufton said.
Meanwhile, the Minister has expressed condolences to the family and loved ones of the babies succumbing to Klebsiella pneumoniae infections.
He said the loss of lives is sad and unfortunate and must never be downplayed, trivialized, or politicized.
“I also want to recognize the health team at VJH for their ongoing efforts to complete remediation measures at the hospital, following the cluster of cases,” Dr. Tufton added.
