Neurosurgical Drill: PNP Alleges Corruption in Procurement. The parliamentary opposition announced on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, that it would be contacting the Auditor General. They will also reach out to the Integrity Commission. Their aim is to investigate the multi-million dollar purchase of a neurosurgical drill for the Bustamante Hospital for Children.
The opposition has criticized the $31 million price tag as excessive and insulting to taxpayers.
Meanwhile, the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) has dismissed these claims. It asserts that it conducted a competitive bidding process before the purchase.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the Opposition Spokesman for Health, Dr. Alfred Dawes, presented new evidence regarding the procurement process. He accused SERHA and the Health Ministry of outright corruption. He also alleged nepotism.
“In November 2024, just before SERHA purchased a neurosurgical drill for Bustamante Hospital for Children for $31,500,000, two drills of the same type – EM200 – from the same manufacturer and with the same specifications and model numbers were imported by the company that won the bid. According to their customs declaration forms and accompanying invoice from the manufacturer, these were not new drills; they were refurbished drills with a declared purchase price of US$1,600. They paid $90,000 in customs fees. This made the total landed cost of the same drill approximately $250,000 in Jamaica. This cost is nowhere near the $31 million price tag,” Dr. Dawes revealed.
Dr. Alfred Dawes
Dr. Dawes alleged that a Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) Member of Parliament owns the company. This company supplied the controversial neurosurgical drill to SERHA.
“This isn’t about politics; it’s about the blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars. What could prompt someone to spend $31 million on a drill when they could have bought 100 of the same model? There is clear evidence of corruption and gross mismanagement in the Ministry of Health. It’s concerning that a JLP member of Parliament owns the company in question,” Dr. Alfred Dawes asserted.
Dr. Alfred Dawes, Opposition Spokesperson on Health and Wellness in Jamaica
The neurosurgical drill is designed for use in critical brain and spinal surgeries for pediatric patients.
Meanwhile, Donovan Williams, the JLP member of Parliament for Central Kingston and an attorney-at-law, has responded to Dr. Dawes’s claims regarding his supposed ownership stake in the company that supplied the neurosurgical drill to Bustamante Hospital for Children.
In a quick rebuttal, Mr. Williams accused Dr. Dawes of being mistaken and irresponsible in his statements made during Tuesday’s press briefing.
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