The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said more than 700 people have benefited from the government’s Catastrophic Health Care Fund, but final figures are still being audited before they are released publicly and tabled in Parliament.

The Davis administration launched the programme in 2024 to help Bahamians who cannot afford costly, life-saving medical treatment unavailable through the public healthcare system.

Funding for the programme has increased from $10m to $12m in the 2026/27 budget cycle.

Yesterday, Dr Darville said preliminary figures show more than 700 people have benefited, but the ministry is verifying how many approved applicants ultimately received money.

"I have our accountants looking exactly at those individuals who were approved versus those individuals who actually got the funding," Dr Darville said. "People will approach me and say, 'Listen, I need to do this particular life-changing procedure in the United States', and they never go, and so our numbers must be verified by the public treasury for where the resources went, and so there's an audited component versus just plain numbers."

Dr Darville said some people may be approved for assistance but never travel for treatment. Others may die before their applications are completed, making it necessary to distinguish between approvals and actual beneficiaries.

The fund has faced repeated questions because the government has released little information about how many people have received assistance, how applications are assessed or how much money has been disbursed.

The issue resurfaced during the House of Assembly’s budget debate when Long Island MP Dr Andre Rollins pressed Dr Darville to say what percentage of applicants had received help.

Dr Rollins also asked what share of the country’s need the allocation meets.

Former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands has also raised concerns about the programme’s transparency.

In April 2024, Dr Sands said he supported the initiative and believed it could be a game changer, but said key details remained unclear.

He questioned who qualifies for help, how eligibility decisions are made and how the money is being spent. He also called for greater transparency and regular reporting on expenditures.