Vital Statistics Commission of Jamaica - Planning Institute of Jamaica

Audit of Vital Registration and Vital Statistics Systems: Jamaica
As referenced earlier our findings indicate that there is an issue with sudden and suspicious
deaths being registered quickly. We recommend that policy be developed and implemented
which would require that deaths, once reported by the police to the Coroner (within 48 hours
according to the amended Coroner’s Act) be then reported via Form D or its equivalent by
the Coroner to RGD and registered (even if preliminarily) within a reasonable time frame
(e.g., 72 hours) after notification. This may require an amendment to Section 10 of the
Coroner’s Act, which gives the Coroner absolute discretion as to when the death should be
registered with RGD.
To eliminate all issues associated with family members sharing the responsibility of death
registration in the case of suspicious or sudden deaths, we recommend policy be changed
establishing the coroner as the party solely responsible for registering deaths with RGD when
for decedents falling within his or her jurisdiction. This should not require a change in the
law as the law already states that the coroner is responsible for providing this information to
RGD.
At present a serious data bottleneck is the coroner’s court and its processes. We
recommended a case management system that monitors current cases, including the issuance
of preliminary registration to the RGD.
The Coroner’s court, with or without a computerized case management system, should
establish a team to review in great detail the case flow through the system. The team should
be tasked with arriving at recommendations to reduce both the backlog and the time it takes
for cases to get processed. Additionally, a feasibility study should be conducted on
converting to a medical examiner system or medical examiner-style system.
The new JEMS system should be evaluated for its capability in data tracking and analysis
related to reporting deaths as well as the issue mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Until electronic management systems are implemented, the Coroners Court should retain
copies of all form D’s and E’s generated (we recommend the use of pre-numbered, two page
NCR forms).
The MOH, in conjunction with the RHA’s, should provide orientation to hospital and
medical staff about the key points in the MOH policy regarding births, fetal deaths, and
deaths. The MOH should hold all Hospital CEOs responsible for providing this orientation.
Our audit determined one of the root causes of the challenges Jamaica faces with regard to
the collection of data and reporting of vital statistics lies in the lack of universal clarity
around definitions and responsibilities of various stakeholders. Therefore, it is essential that a
common definition of vital statistics and its components be arrived at and universally
communicated. Most importantly, all stakeholders must participate in a process that clarifies
the duties and responsibilities of each agency and that develops appropriate systems and
controls to ensure all meet their respective obligations.
15