PAC moves to hold UHWI chief Fitzgerald Mitchell in contempt after summons no-show

KINGSTON — Jamaica's Public Accounts Committee voted on June 16, 2026 to report University Hospital of the West Indies chief executive Fitzgerald Mitchell to the Speaker of the House of Representatives for contempt of Parliament after he failed to appear despite a summons served on Monday, June 8.

The committee is examining the Auditor General's performance audit on value for money in public health monitoring at UHWI. Mitchell did not respond to an earlier invitation and sent no word from himself or his lawyer when the panel met Tuesday, members said. Senior legislative counsel Tiffany Stewart confirmed that all legal and administrative steps under Standing Order 782 and the Senate and House of Representatives Powers and Privileges Act were followed. She said failure to attend may amount to an offence under sections 18A and 18B, with a maximum fine of $200 and up to 12 months' imprisonment — penalties lawmakers said are far too weak to deter senior public officials.

Members from both sides condemned the no-show as an attack on parliamentary oversight. Member Bunting, Member Cousins, and Member Miller pressed for board and ministry action alongside the contempt referral. Bunting pointed to an August 20, 2023 report from recruiter Great People Solutions stating that interviews with an internal candidate revealed "troubling indicators of a culture of non-compliance," which he linked to the current CEO.

Earlier in the sitting, the permanent secretary tabled board and subcommittee minutes on the 2023 CEO selection. Records from Great People Solutions, round-robin board approvals, and material from former board chairman Chai Chong showed a detailed international recruitment process led by the human resource and customer service subcommittee, then chaired by Dr. Andre Foot. Members said the documents vindicated Chong after earlier concerns that only two paragraphs in prior minutes captured the full process.

Parliament's research department read a ratified summary into the record covering August 2023 board correspondence and the Great People Solutions report, which recommended addressing non-compliance, reviewing the CEO's span of control, and securing market-driven compensation.

The permanent secretary also reported that two of four main operating theatres at Kingston Public Hospital remain out of service after an air-conditioning breakdown. HEPA filters have been ordered from overseas with delivery expected by mid next week; full restoration may take two to three weeks. Elective surgeries have been scaled back while emergency operations continue.