Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson last night called on the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) to break its silence on the Medical Clinic closure.

And Mrs. Jackson further questioned the actions of the Government calling them “schizophrenic.”

Mrs. Jackson’s statement comes after The Royal Gazette uncovered the Spring 2006 BHB newsletter, PULSE, which described the expansion of the clinic services.

The article on the clinic said: “BHB operates a very busy medical outpatient clinic that provides services and supplies to uninsured and under-resourced clients.”

It goes on to say the clinic ‘’recently extended service to five days a week’’ and a “team of physicians that includes Dr. Stanley James, Dr. Samantha Price and Dr. Ronald Lightbourne, handles approximately 2,500 patient visits annually, ordering diagnostic tests, prescribing medications and treating client complaints.’’

The newsletter adds: “The medical outpatient clinic provides comprehensive medical and nursing services to a client base made up primarily of the elderly. With a registry of 4,300 patients, this facility plays a vital role for many Bermudians.”

Mrs. Jackson said: “I want the board to explain to me how a year ago they can say the clinic plays a ‘vital role’ in many Bermudians’ lives and all of a sudden the facility is not good enough.

“I want them to answer to me. Last year they had all of this to say and now they’re allowing the closure of the clinic.”

And Mrs. Jackson remembers praising her counterpart, former Health Minister Patrice Minors over the move and expansion of the medical clinic, in the House of Assembly in 2005.

Mrs. Jackson added: “It’s bizarre that a Government on the one hand will spend thousands of dollars creating a new clinic and tout it as a new facility and less than a year later it’s being closed. Is there something missing?

“Who is running the hospital? We have silence from the Board and silence from the Government except for platitudes with the petition.”

Yesterday a BHB spokesperson said: “The position of BHB has been clear and consistent throughout this process.

“As we have already stated, this was a policy decision in the Throne Speech about the use of Government funds for providing healthcare services to Medical Clinic clients.

“We therefore have no further comment, other than to reassure that the Medical Clinic will remain open at KEMH to existing clients until they have transferred to the physician of their choice.

“The clinic in our newsletter article last year was called “vital” as there was no other option for these clients at the time of the article’s publication.”

The Premier was unavailable for comment.