Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has stated that clarity is needed as it relates to the University Hospital of the West Indies, its procurement practices and its regional governance.

He was responding to queries from reporters while in St Catherine yesterday, in the wake of a damning report from the Auditor General about the UHWI.

The AG flagged the hospital for several issues to include procurement breaches, misuse of tax exemption and absent records.

Tufton pointed out that the hospital is part of the University of the West Indies, which is a regional educational institution.

He noted that the institutional review committee is tasked with, among other things, seeking clarity on the UWI and UHWI procurement rules.

When asked about the effectiveness of the committee, Tufton explained that the role of the committee is different from that of the hospital board.

The minister noted that the hospital board has indicated its willingness to work with the committee, in reviewing the matter.

He said the aim is to be guided by the committee’s recommendations and discussions with the leadership of the university to determine the way forward.