The One Bermuda Alliance must take responsibility for the controversial decision to shut down a healthcare centre — because members of the ruling party sit on the Bermuda Hospitals Board, it is claimed.

The BHB announced the shutdown of the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre in St David’s last week, stating that few patients used the facility and as a result, its cost was “unsustainable”.

The Opposition Progressive Labour Party denounced the move and accused Government MPs of failing to stand up for the east end. Health Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin and St David’s MP Suzann Roberts-Holshouser refuted that claim and insisted that the decision had been made by health officials, not politicians.

But yesterday Shadow Health Minister Zane DeSilva alleged that “the OBA’s fingerprints are all over this one” — because members of the ruling party sit on the BHB.

The BHB, the administrative organisation which manages healthcare services on the Island, is made up of a chairman, deputy chairman, eight members and one ex-facto member. All 11 members have a vote.

Mr DeSilva said: “In Suzanne Holshouser’s haste to distance herself and the OBA from their neglect of the east end and their culpability in the closure of the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre, she neglected one simple fact.

“When Mrs Holshouser said this was a decision of the BHB she failed to reveal that OBA MP Jeanne Atherden, OBA Chairman Thad Hollis and former OBA MP and Ministry of Health consultant Louise Jackson were all members of the board.

“As much as Mrs Holshouser tries to distract and deflect from the OBA’s responsibilities the facts are that the OBA’s fingerprints are all over this one.

“As long as the OBA keeps looking backwards, refuses to be open, transparent and accountable and runs from their responsibilities, we will continue to struggle in getting Bermudians back to work.

“Let’s work together on solutions so that we can keep the Lamb Foggo Centre open.”

Last night an OBA spokesman refuted the claim, pointing out that party members on the board were in the minority.

“Mr DeSilva is being a little disingenuous. Does every board that has PLP members on it toe the PLP line? Of course not,” the spokesman said.

“There are ten members of the Bermuda Hospitals Board, plus one voting ex-officio member and three non-voting ex-officio members. Three people don’t make decisions for a Board of that size.”

The centre was opened by the former PLP administration in 2009 at a cost of $7.8 million. But according to the BHB it had just 5,600 visits in 2012/2013.