No Crisis at J. N.F. Hospital

Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, February 28, 2024 [Ministry of Health] – The Executive
Management Committee of the Joseph N. France General Hospital would like to inform the
general public that there is NO CRISIS in the anesthesia service/surgical service at the J.N.F.
General Hospital and that there is no need for alarm.

The J.N.F. General Hospital has a clear policy of 24-hour uninterrupted emergency services
and as such, currently holds an inventory of four anesthesia machines to service its two
operating rooms. Thus, although two machines would be in active-duty, a further two
machines are in reserve. This allows for built-in redundancy of the system.

“One of the two active-duty machines broke down, but is once again operable thanks to our
in-house maintenance team and machines continue to still be on stand-by,” said Dr. Jenson
Morton, Director of Health Institutions.

It is important that we clearly note the following to the general public:
Emergency Services of the Operating Theatre were never, at any point interrupted.
Elective Procedures have fully resumed, after just a few hours of the reporting of the issue.

We continue to engage in systematic preventative maintenance of our existing machines
with the necessary technicians over the course of the next few days to fully ensure the
seamless operation of these and all current medical equipment in our possession.

The J.N.F. General Hospital continues to strengthen everyday, and further actions will take
place to continue to further strengthen the department and the Institutions-Based Health
Services on a whole.

About J.N.F. Hospital

J.N.F. Hospital is a leading healthcare institution committed to providing high-quality
medical care and services. As it embarks on its accreditation journey, the hospital continues
to focus on improvements and innovations that meet the health needs of the community it
serves.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

Gavin Belle
Communications Officer
Ministry of Health
869-662-2645

END

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