The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

MEDICAL Association of the Bahamas President Dr Sy Pierre yesterday called Health Minister Dr Duane Sands' proclamation that a revised National Health Insurance scheme will be relaunched before year-end "confusing."

Calling on Dr Sands to clarify the timeline, Dr Pierre suggested it conflicted with the health minister's later comments that board executives have not yet met extensively and the need for a sustainable approach.

Dr Sands told The Nassau Guardian on Monday that a "revised, leaner and more effective NHI programme that combines primary care and catastrophic care will be relaunched before the end of the year."

Dr Pierre sits on the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) board as president of the Medical Association of the Bahamas.

"I'm not sure how to interpret what was said by the minister of health," he said.

"This is very confusing as on the one hand there is a seeming guarantee that the government will have an NHI scheme by year end, then it is stated that the new programme must be 'sustainable' …., that the board has only been working for a few short months and that the government wants to avoid the 'missteps' of the previous administration.

"I truly don't see how the initial statement giving a three month time-line for the launch of an NHI programme that includes both primary and catastrophic care can be synchronised with the later statements indicating that the board has only had a few meetings, wanting to avoid missteps, create a programme that is sustainable, etc."

The Christie administration launched NHI's primary care phase just prior to the general election back in May.

More than 25,000 Bahamians and legal residents have enrolled in the scheme to date; however, critics are of the opinion that people are getting no more than what was already available to them in terms of benefits through the public healthcare system.

Yesterday, Dr Sands said: "The (NHIA) board has carriage of the NHI programme, they know what the guiding principles are and they will define what NHI will look like moving forward.

"We expect that roll out by the end of this calendar year, they should have the revised NHI plan, that is the timeline they've been given."

The current legal and financial framework of the NHI organisation, inclusive of its objectives, activities and outcomes, are being reviewed by the newly formed board of the NHI Authority, according to NHIA Chairman Dr Robin Roberts.

When contacted this week for an update on the scheme, Dr Roberts said: "The planning and business of a National Health Insurance programme is complex.

"The NHIA board has an obligation to due diligence of the NHI current status first and foremost, as we proceed to define a formal strategic plan and its implementation.

"We are most cognisant of our responsibility to apprise and engage the public," he added.