Director of Health Institutions, Dr. Jenson Morton, has firmly dismissed allegations made by an accident victim who claimed he was denied medical care at the Joseph N. France General Hospital (JNF) due to his inability to pay.
Dr. Morton addressed the matter during the radio programme Groundings, offering clarity into the case, which gained traction through circulating voice notes on social media.
“It’s unfortunate that someone with false claims would magnify it to such a degree. The problem that we normally have is that when persons give these false claims, it’s difficult to publicly refute them with the actual information, because you run the risk of exposing someone’s private medical information. So, sometimes they tell a complete lie and we are kind of trapped because we’re limited,” Dr. Morton stated, labelling the claims made in the viral voice note as “false”.
He emphasised that the hospital remains committed to providing emergency care in accordance with the Constitution of St. Kitts and Nevis, regardless of a patient’s financial status.
According to Dr. Morton, the individual in question received prompt emergency surgery following the accident, undergoing a three-and-a-half-hour operation to treat multiple fractures.
“That gentleman was not denied any care. He already had his emergency treatment. The next part of his care was elective and scheduled for a later date,” Dr. Morton asserted.
He explained that while emergency procedures are fully covered by the government, elective surgeries—particularly those requiring specialised orthopaedic equipment such as screws and plates—often incur costs. These materials are imported by the orthopaedic surgeons themselves, not the government, as they are considered non-life-threatening and highly expensive. Dr. Morton noted that outside of Jamaica, it is common practice across the region for patients or their insurance to bear the cost of such specialised items.
Importantly, Dr. Morton clarified that the delay in the elective procedure was a medical decision, not a financial one.
“The gentleman was supposed to have the procedure later down in the week. All that happened was that his surgical date was changed because of the opinion of the consultant that it was not timely to do it on the day it was supposed to be done due to the man’s own body’s reaction. It was delayed,” he explained.
The Director of Health Institutions expressed concern over the growing trend of individuals turning to social media to spread unverified claims, which can damage the reputation of public institutions and mislead the public. He highlighted the legal right of the state to pursue defamation proceedings but noted that the decision was made instead to offer a transparent explanation.
“All these false claims are being made. And we were well within our right as a state to sue that gentleman for the slander that he was putting on the government health institution. But we chose not to do that. And I’m glad to have the opportunity to explain, because at least the citizens of the country can understand the explanation,” Dr. Morton said.
He concluded by reaffirming the hospital’s commitment to patient care and urged members of the public to seek facts before sharing potentially harmful misinformation.
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