United States-based surgeon Dr. Robert Brady is calling out the condition of Jamaica’s public healthcare infrastructure after his team was forced to delay a crucial surgery for an 11-year-old girl due to poor operating conditions.
Dr. Brady, section chief at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut, traveled with a team of specialists earlier this month to perform life-changing orthopedic surgeries for children facing severe health challenges, including scoliosis.
Although Brady has visited Jamaica for nearly two decades to conduct these procedures, he described this trip as “terrible,” revealing that his team managed only five surgeries this time—four at the Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC) and one at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). This falls well below the 12 to 16 surgeries they typically complete, which Brady attributed to inadequate infrastructure, including an operating theater that was plagued with mold, air-conditioning issues, and a lack of essential equipment.
The delay impacted young Ajanae Parchment, whose spinal curvature, initially diagnosed at 25 degrees, has since progressed to a severe 85 degrees. Her mother, Sandra Aitcheson, confirmed that the BHC’s operating conditions prevented her daughter’s surgery. Brady disclosed that his team had requested to perform surgeries at other hospitals due to the air-conditioning problems, but their request went unaddressed—a decision he found disappointing given the mission’s objective to help as many children as possible.
Health Minister steps in
In response to the initial article in the Jamaica Gleaner, Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton held a press conference at BHC. He announced new arrangements for Ajanae’s surgery to proceed at UHWI. However, Dr. Brady highlighted the difficulty of accommodating such changes on short notice, particularly when his team was set to depart the next day. “You can’t make that request one day prior to us leaving and expect it to be granted,” he remarked, expressing frustration over the situation. “Our facilities need to be to the point where they actually want us to come here and help as many people as possible.”
Dr. Tufton addressed the situation further by shedding light on some underlying systemic challenges Jamaica faces with maintaining medical equipment.
Unlike in the United States, where equipment maintenance is routine and parts or replacements are readily accessible, Jamaica often experiences delays because specialists or parts need to come from locations as far away as Germany and New York. To alleviate these issues, Tufton shared that the government is shifting toward a new leasing system starting next month, where leased equipment will come with extended service agreements and outsourced maintenance.
“I am not making excuses but am giving context to why we face these issues and the steps we’re taking to solve them,” Tufton explained, acknowledging that infrastructure shortfalls place Dr. Brady’s team under “less-than-ideal circumstances” given their high standards and experience in the U.S.
Tufton, however, publicly thanked Brady and his team for their contributions to Jamaica’s healthcare and reassured the public of the mission’s importance in improving lives.
Despite his criticism of the facilities, Brady praised the BHC staff, who he said provided “great care” to children, but emphasized that “clear infrastructure issues” still need urgent attention. “We have to go through the hospitals and make sure the autoclave systems are working,” Brady said, referencing the hospital’s steam sterilizers. “We can only do single instruments now. That’s an issue. The air conditions have to work…but these need to be addressed and fixed, and the money needs to go into helping these children.”
Brady reiterated that as Jamaica’s only children’s hospital, BHC should meet “gold standard” expectations. “People come from different islands for us to take care of their children because we know that our healthcare system is good,” he stated, adding that he hopes to see increased investment in the facilities to help ensure Jamaica’s hospitals remain a beacon for healthcare in the Caribbean.
