Prime Minister Perry Christie.
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Deputy Chief Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
WHILE still not providing clarity to much of the country’s confusion surrounding the planned implementation of National Health Insurance, Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday made a push to persuade Bahamians to trust the government in handling the healthcare scheme, insisting that NHI is expected to “boost the economy”.
Mr Christie said it is important that the government “removes the cobwebs, fear and concern” over NHI, but did not give any indication of a definite roll out date or whether his administration expected to meet its mark of implementing it ahead of the approaching 2017 general election.
Instead, the prime minister repeated that his government, like all administrations around the world, would not make any decisions that would plunge the economy into a “down spin”.
He said the government’s NHI consultants, KPMG, were willing to put its reputation on the line that NHI will improve the economy.
He made the comments during the 26th Annual Bahamas Business Outlook at the Melia Nassau Beach Hotel on West Bay Street.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Mr Christie said, “this administration remains absolutely committed to healthcare reform and through the implementation of a health system strengthening branch to improve accessibility and affordability of basic medical services and laying the groundwork for universal health coverage and the implementation of National Health Insurance.
“Just let me say this with respect to one statement on National Health Insurance. When we were reviewing National Health Insurance, my government saw that KPMG had in-depth consultancy with South Africa and argued persuasively that it’s a net positive to the economy as opposed to a drag on the economy (and) that the economy has gains as a result of the implementation and proper execution of National Health Insurance.
“My government commissioned KPMG to engage in a similar study, which has just been completed for the Bahamas. That study also will confirm and KPMG will put its reputation behind it that the execution and implementation of National Health Insurance will prove to be a positive boost to the economy of the Bahamas.”
He added: “But it is important that we remove the cobwebs, the fear and the concern of what we are doing because no sensible government, I don’t care who it is, which party and which colour it is, will plunge unnecessarily the economy into a down spin. It’s just not going to happen.
“That is why I made myself the minister responsible for National Health Insurance notwithstanding the pre-eminence of the Minister of Health (Dr Perry Gomez) because as the minister of finance I wanted to guarantee the Bahamian people that the economy would not be plagued by our commitment in introducing a greater degrees of equity into the delivery of healthcare.”
Earlier this month, Dr Mark Britnell, the head of KPMG’s healthcare practice, and Dr Delon Brennen, NHI’s project manager, said primary healthcare will be introduced early this year. Though no specific date was given, Mr Britnell said primary healthcare will be available in the spring.
Officials are currently finalising the NHI regulations as well as selecting an institution to manage the public insurer.
Dr Brennen said it would not take long for the public insurer to get up and running after a manager is selected, given the experience the would-be company has in insurance management.
He described the NHI Secretariat’s interactions with potential providers as positive so far.
Comments
Honestman 7 years, 11 months ago
What a load of nonsense!
The_Oracle 7 years, 11 months ago
By bleeding more money from the pockets of Bahamians? More money that Bahamians will see nothing for, like VAT? Dude is smoking serious stuff!
SP 7 years, 11 months ago
.......................... "We Believe In Bahamians" - "Bahamians First" ...........................
Perry Gladstone Christie is proven lying SOB that will say anything!
licks2 7 years, 11 months ago
He is just something else. . .lie to his people too much!!
SP 7 years, 11 months ago
..“Make The Lie Big, Make It Simple, Keep Saying It, And Eventually They Will Believe It”..
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 11 months ago
If you been in the Princess Margaret Hospital lately or some of the clinics on the out islands, you'd see the (expletive) they are in. It's ridiculous. There's a clinic in Abaco that was built five years ago and it's rotting down; another clinic in Exuma that's built five years ago that's also rotting down. It's unbelievable. I'm sitting back here and I can't believe what I'm hearing (from you)."
As Dr Brennan sought to address the man's concerns, another Rotarian shouted: "Who's gonna pay for it? Who is going to pay for it? Don't say it's free."
None of us has said it's free*," Mr Brennan responded, explaining that the NHI scheme would allow people to access services WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT COSTS at the time of doing so.***
When I would it not be too early to worry, and how late is too late to worry about cost?
JohnDoe 7 years, 11 months ago
This report from KPMG is nothing short of professional malpractice. While the report boost about the projected GDP growth benefit to the economy of $500 million in its headline, buried deep into the report is an opaque statement the the costs of implementing and executing NHI will actually exceed the $500 million dollar benefit to GDP. One may ask a common sense question like, "if the economic costs of NHI will exceed the economic benefits of NHI how then can KPMG claim that NHI will provide a GDP boosts to the economy". The answer is that KPMG can do so because of the manner in which GDP is calculated. GDP is only concerned about what is produced or demanded by society, it is not concerned about how that production is funded and therein lies the rub, What KPMG is not saying is how this $500 million increase in GDP is going to be funded and the reason for that is because it is likely to be funded by the government or by higher taxes. If it is funded by the government it will be exactly similar to the government giving a subsidy to the administrators and each patient of NHI how then in turn purchases medical services. In short a government funded social program or stimulus or whatever you want to call it. In this scenario GDP will increase but the national debt also increases at a time when we have just been downgraded for too much debt. This GDP increase will add nothing, zero, nadda, zilch to our sustainable economic growth or development and the costs of NHI due to the endemic free rider and moral hazard problems in the Bahamas will explode well beyond the $500 million projection leaving us with an empty bag of increased national debt to show for NHI. So KPMG and Christie shame on you for misleading the Bahamian people.
JohnDoe 7 years, 11 months ago
Should be "who" then in turn purchases medical services.
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