Dr Alfred Dawes backs calls for new leadership at University Hospital of the West Indies

Opposition spokesman on health Dr Alfred Dawes says he has seen internal memos from nurses at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and that staff have also been asking for meetings to address problems affecting how they carry out their duties.

Speaking amid rising tension at the public hospital, Dr Dawes said the situation comes as little surprise. He noted that nurses and doctors have been reaching out to different tiers of management, and that he understands appeals have gone as far as the Prime Minister, to intervene in what he described as an untenable leadership crisis.

Dr Dawes said nurses and doctors appear to be at a breaking point, and that there is a clear call for a change in leadership at UHWI. He argued that the approach of reassuring staff by pointing to review committee findings and similar steps is no longer enough.

The health spokesman linked the memos and meeting requests to wider frustration among front-line workers who feel longstanding concerns about hospital governance have not been resolved. Without naming specific officials, he framed the dispute as a matter of accountability at the top of the institution rather than a routine workplace grievance.

Dr Dawes did not outline a preferred replacement for current leadership, but his comments add opposition weight to pressure already building from within the hospital. The dispute centres on whether existing management can restore confidence among clinical staff or whether a new leadership team is needed to stabilise operations at Jamaica's principal teaching hospital.