Amid heightened political tensions ahead of the December 1 General Election, officials at the St Jude Hospital (SJH) have firmly dismissed claims circulated online alleging electrical issues and possible fire hazards at the new facility.
The article circulating on social media suggested hospital staff had been placed in danger following “electrical sparks, equipment malfunction, and a possible fire hazard inside the laundry area” of the new building. The post questioned the facility’s safety and accused the government of staging “walkthroughs and photo-ops” instead of addressing structural concerns.
However, Communications Specialist Jade Brown has described the report as entirely false, calling the media house an unreliable source used for political mischief.
“[They] should not be used as a credible source for anything at any point in time on any matter, particularly to do with the incumbent, particularly to do with the St Jude Hospital. They are not authorised on anything.”
Brown stressed that no spark, fire, or incident of any kind occurred at the new facility.
“No, there was no spark at the St Jude Hospital. Everything is running accordingly. We recently — as recently as yesterday [November 24] — opened and commissioned the physiotherapy department. We are looking to commission the laundry department later this week. In the coming weeks, you will see the opening of the kitchen as promised. So everything is running smoothly at the facility.”
She added that the hospital remains a state-of-the-art, internationally compliant facility, with the contractor still on-site to oversee the installation of equipment from three newly arrived containers.
Brown linked the spread of the allegation to the political climate, saying such rumours often surface during intense campaign periods.
“I think that this comes with the territory and the season that we are in, and people should expect the unexpected from the opposition.”
To further counter the claims, Chief Fire Service Officer Ditney Downes told St. Lucia Times that the Saint Lucia Fire Service did not receive any calls and did not respond to any spark, smoke, or fire at the facility.
This confirmation directly contradicts the media house’s claim that workers had to “abandon their duties” due to an electrical threat.
While commissioning of additional departments continues in phases, SJH officials say operations remain normal and warn the public to remain vigilant against misinformation.
