As outrage continues across Jamaica over the death of a young mother after she was repeatedly denied medical attention, the country’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, promises that the matter will be thoroughly investigated.

23 year old Jodian Fearon had complained of breathing problems last Friday, when she reported to the privately owned and operated Andrews Memorial Hospital, where she had been registered to give birth to her first child. However the woman’s family says medical staff suspected she had COVID-19, prompting them to turn her away.

After seeking medical attention at three other facilities, including the Kingston Public Hospital, Fearon gave birth at the Spanish Town hospital, before being transferred to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI).

Jamaican media reports that Jodian’s family had been in contact with her late on Friday, hours after she gave birth, and said she appeared to be in a much better mood than hours earlier when she had been “reeling in pain”. Fearon allegedly told her family that nurses had denied her attention, out of fears that she had the virus. The family members were due to visit her the next day, however the received a call at 7 o’clock on Saturday morning informing them that Jodian had died.

In a press conference on Monday night, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who described Fearon’s death as “a most upsetting issue”,  said police have already begun an investigation to determine if there was any criminal negligence at play. He added that “those who are responsible must be held accountable.”

Jamaica currently has 364 cases of COVID-19. Prime Minister Holness said while the threat of the virus is real and has caused a strain on the country’s healthcare system, it “must never cause them to lose sight of their humanity”.