People’s National Party caretaker for South East St. Catherine and Spokesman on Health, Dr. Alfred Dawes, has accused the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) of targeting him because he raised concerns about the acquisition of a $31.5 million neurosurgical drill for the Bustamante Hospital for Children.

Dr. Dawes has been calling for answers regarding the acquisition of the drill and has raised questions about the cost.

The company involved in the acquisition stated that claims made by Dr. Dawes are false. However, Dr. Dawes continues to press for receipts to be provided.

On May 21, 2025, a video of Dr. Dawes wearing an orange hat as he walked towards the JLP Headquarters on Belmont Road in Kingston was posted to his Instagram account.

The video had the caption “POV you tracked down who owns the drill company, fraid? me? release the serial number now”, and was accompanied by a song with violent lyrics.

On Sunday, the JLP wrote to the Office of the Political Ombudsman and called for a probe of the video.

The JLP also wants Dr. Dawes to be investigated for potential breaches of the political code of conduct.

In a response, Dr. Dawes said this is one of several actions the JLP has tried to take against him since he highlighted the drill issue.