PM asks people to 'trust him' over NHI

Prime Minister Perry Christie

As of Sunday, January 24, 2016

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia

AFTER a rough week that saw doctors condemn his government's handling of National Health Insurance (NHI), Prime Minister Perry Christie made an emotional plea on Friday for residents and stakeholders to trust him.

His comments came as he accepted a Person of the Year award from Jones Communications for expanding the country's tax revenue base by implementing Value Added Tax (VAT).

Weary of stakeholders' anxiety, he said he has requested that a group of health care experts with a footprint in "Canada, United Kingdom and the United States" come quickly to the Bahamas to examine his efforts on NHI.

The group is separate from the government's current consultants, PricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC) and Sanigest Internacional.

"(I told them to) bring their expertise and review what we're doing and take ownership of the recommendations you will make to me because those are the recommendations I'm taking with me," he said. "We're doing all of this to demonstrate that in governance it is important that we listen, important that we review, important that we decide."

He did not reveal the identity of the group, nor did he indicate if the timeline for NHI implementation will be affected by their expected participation. Currently, the primary health care phase of NHI is scheduled to be implemented in April.

Mr Christie cited the smooth introduction of VAT as a pretext for emphasising that he will always take stakeholders' concerns into consideration while implementing ambitious plans.

He described bringing consultants from New Zealand to this country to soothe people's concerns and to help define the taxation. He also recalled how he postponed the timeline for the introduction of VAT to give the Chamber of Commerce time to analyse what the best form of taxation for the country would be.

"At the end of that process we all determined, public and private sector, that the Ministry of Finance was correct in proceeding with VAT," he said.

With VAT, concerns were widespread until his administration postponed the introduction date to allow greater stakeholder involvement and to educate the public.

In comparing NHI to VAT, Mr Christie has failed to admit that his government's pursuit of the health care scheme has not strictly followed the VAT path, given his government's refusal to reconsider its timeline for introducing NHI despite calls from the business community to do so.

The explosion of criticsm from doctors this week may not have happened, critics say, if the government was not so resolute in sticking to its NHI timeline before working out and explaining all of the details of the scheme.

"All you have to do is sit in an office and say Prime Minister or minister, I disagree," he said of his critics as he argued that he is open to consulting them. "Why would any government want to waste his time fighting a medical profession or an insurance agency?

"Governments work on the best advice given to them. You can disagree with that advice but you cannot ever stop the government from executing on a project that is manifestly and undeniably in the best interest of people in this country who are the most disadvantaged.

"You may say that you can defeat them at the polls and you may be able to do it. But when consultants tell a government that 700 people die unnecessarily, that in the Bahamas we have the highest rate in the region of diabetes and as a result of the incidence of non-communicable diseases we have shorter lives.

"What do they expect a government to do when faced with an absolute necessity to recognise we're going in the wrong direction with respect to healthcare and the provision of it? The last thing in the world to do is fight because I have to go to those same doctors for me.

"Duane Sands (consultant surgeon) and I might fight but he grew up under me, a Valley Boy. If I get such that's the first person I call for. There is absolutely no intention on forcing anyone into discomfort but in the Bahamas our approach to VAT where the Chamber of Commerce got involved and help us introduce it demonstrates how we should engage in the process of advancing the Commonwealth of the Bahamas."

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TalRussell 8 years, 9 months ago

Comrade Rt. Honourable Prime Minister it would be smarter believe you can sell BahamaCARE to residents living in our neighbouring galaxy than for you to think that there you shouldn't be weary of the doctors and insurance companies anxiety - but for no other reason than they fully intend to protect their anti BahamaCARE stakeholders' positions.
They want nothing to do with anything remotely close to a government sponsored BahamaCARE.
Universal Healthcare for all the people runs contrary to their status quo profiteering. PM don't even bother pushing for harmony between BahamaCARE and the doctors and insurance companies - cause it will never harmonize with the Healthcare needs of the people who need it the most - the working poor.

dahasamo 8 years, 9 months ago

Do you know how sick persons get healthcare now? What will be different when the Government puts out an insurance programme?

newcitizen 8 years, 9 months ago

Hahaha, this guy is a joker! Trust him ??? Why on earth would anyone trust this man. Look at his track record, lie after lie after failed promise, half truth, intentional misleading, bullying, negligence. This guy is the definition of untrustworthy.

TalRussell 8 years, 9 months ago

Yes, we need to begin a revolution to Bahamaland Healthcare.
Comrades if you think the doctors couldn't be any more opposed BahamaCARE than they have been vocalizing, just wait for the noise begin once they start receiving the memo from the Department of Public Health (DPH), telling them they have keep their offices open on evenings and weekends. Makes sense extend hours considering the vast majority patients must ask bossman's, or bosslady's, time off go visit the doctor's office - or wait until after work to go to the PMH emergency department.
I guess at weekends in Bahamland there is no medical needs to tend patient care, despite the fact the mortality rates are 10% higher at weekends.

GrassRoot 8 years, 9 months ago

If some politicians asks "Trust Me", he proves that he knows that no one trusts him. Trusted leaders have followers without asking them to follow. He lost, lights are out of PGC.

TalRussell 8 years, 9 months ago

Comrade I agree but only because you missed the main point to the PM's "Trust Me".
This has less to do with trusting the PM as it is about a PM who is being forced into managing his risks when dealing with the profiteering doctors and insurance industry stakeholders'.
It is a "Trust Me" as the nations current PM's message to the healthcare provider profiteers - not the thousands people waiting since the Pindling, Sir Roland and Papa Hubert administrations, for a BahamaCARE revolution.
Unfortunately, thousands Bahamalander's have met their untimely deaths under healthcare disappointment circumstances, whilst waiting for the BahamaCARE revoultion. But it never came in time save their lives.

DillyTree 8 years, 9 months ago

Trust him? Surely he jests!

Let's see, many people trusted him to solve crime, build BAMSI, open Baha Mar, strengthen our economy, use VAT to decrease national debt, not borrow more money from the Chinese, honor court judgments (Nygard and Blackbeards Island), respect the will of the people in the gambling referendum, hold the equality referendum as promised, and not make a laughing stock of our country. What have they done successfully?

And he wants the Bahamian people to trust him?????????

What a delusional idiot.

Economist 8 years, 9 months ago

There is one fact that we continue to ignore and that is "we cannot afford NHI".

We should be working towards Universal Health Care (NHI is NOT Universal Health Care, not even close).

Steps have to be taken:

1.Plug the $100 million leak. Think of it, $100 million is spent on nothing. The Ministry of Health wastes $11,415.52 per hour or $190.25 per minute or $31.70 per second. That is a lot of health care that should be provided now but is not.

Start a program to get Bahamians to eat properly and exercise. Our Obesity represents approximately 60% of all health costs (Obesity is the main cause of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems and cancer).

Then, and only then, we can talk about NHI.

BMW 8 years, 9 months ago

Amen!!!!!!

ThisIsOurs 8 years, 9 months ago

Completely agree!!! We should start rewarding people for good behaviour. Typically we reward delinquents

Rontom 8 years, 9 months ago

There is no difference between the two: universal health care and NHI. Care to tell the difference. There might be variations in NHI like in Canada and in UK and in Germany and in Australia. ...what's your reference on the 60% cost of obesity/diabetes? I agree that the major cost in health care is attributed to non-communicable disease and illnesses eg trauma, cancer, hypertension diabetes. But by far trauma and cancer lead the cost.

TalRussell 8 years, 9 months ago

Comrade economist ask why you never once have blogged any concern about .the profiteering insurance companies in Bahamaland and across the word's globe who are committed to increase profits.by the increases in claim deductibles, or limiting their resources when it comes to the most urgent and costly medical procedures?

Franklyn 8 years, 9 months ago

Bismillah Al Rahman Al Rahim (In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful)

The start of Political Trickery and Diversion

Prime Minister (Mr. Perry G. Christie) is starting to shows signs of cracking in a desperate attempt (of political trickery) to swing the debate in the Bahamas from all of his failures, broken promises and poor judgement; and in his party’s (The PLP) poor governance of The Bahamas. The questions that must be asked and answered before the curtain is raised on his latest comical show the NHI (National Health Insurance) diversion. – And before his new grand performance is staged. The people of the Bahamas, your audience, are still waiting for a reimbursement on your past poor performance:- • Mortgage Relief, • Crime Solution, • Jobs, • Freedom of Information Act, • Equality Bill, • Gaming Referendum, • Public Private Partnership Initiatives, • BEC liberalization, • Doubling of the Investment in Education. You may have practiced your dance and rehearsed your scripts but I have to tell you the language has changed, and the lights are off. Your audience has left, they have seen your past performance and your tickets are unsold. Farewell old actor, farewell you clown …you dream of being a dancer and you are preaching without sound.

https://youtu.be/OfJRX-8SXOs

ThisIsOurs 8 years, 9 months ago

That boat has sailed, trust has to be earned after so many mind boggling failures and lessons not learned in the last 3 years.

ThisIsOurs 8 years, 9 months ago

Shortly after the PM got in office, he took his entire cabinet and supporting staff to an out island for a cabinet meeting. He said at the time that he would do more of these getaway meetings as it would be a big boost to the local economies. And this is why we have such a hard time trusting the PM, his logic is inherently flawed. He did not take any time to analyze how much money that trip, that could have been had in Nassau at a fraction of the price, cost the treasury. In Nassau, the total cost ~may have been three plane tickets, but he bought possibly over 40 tickets, rented cars, bought expensive food, booked hotel rooms and he thought this was sound judgement. It would have been good if that money came from outside the country but it didn't. Trusting with this history is very hard

B_I_D___ 8 years, 9 months ago

Good luck with that, especially when the majority of the population voted AGAINST you.

asiseeit 8 years, 9 months ago

A question to Perry Christie, DO YOU TAKE ME FOR AN IDIOT? Really, because only an IDIOT would trust your lying, backtracking, corrupt, no rule of law, self! Carry your hip, you broke our trust when you turned a referendum into an "opinion poll" so you could take care of your major money men, you slime. You have lied so much you actually believe your own fib's, you have done enough damage, be gone you devil!

wasturrup8493 8 years, 9 months ago

I have only been alive but 22 years, I believe however; it would be wiser to explain to the Bahamian people just exactly how this works in black and white. Make it plain and simple. The citizens of this country are already weary because of the unexplained VAT situation, because it doesn't seem to be helping the country in the way that they claimed it would be. Even if it is, we the people don't know. If Prime Minister Christie can clear up all the gray areas that his administration has created. Then we will be able to trust more than he is allowing us to.

B_I_D___ 8 years, 9 months ago

The problem is they think the bulk of the Bahamian population are too stupid to understand it, so they are just going to jam it down your throats. Trying to explain it to you is above your education level, so why bother. The only PR they think the public understands are big parties for election rallies. But for VAT, and now NHI, the honestly do not feel you are worthy enough to warrant a proper explanation of how it is all meant to work. So just go back to the fields, do your work, and don't mind that we are taking more money from ya paycheck!!

MonkeeDoo 8 years, 9 months ago

Tal wine right up today ! When we have National Legal Care, National Bank Care, National Architects Care, National Air Care. National Grocery Care, National Cable Care, National Telecoms Care, and everything on the same footing then we could trust Christie. And today they announce a 100% increase in the Bridge Toll to PI. I guess that will include VAT though.

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