The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

STRENGTHENING the public health care system is a key step towards realising 'comprehensive' health care reform in this nation, the Bahamas Insurance Association's (BIA) chairman said yesterday, noting the poor state of this nation's public healthcare system as outlined in a report by former Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) boss Herbert Brown came as 'no surprise'.

Speaking with Tribune Business Emmanuel Komolafe said: "We need comprehensive healthcare reform and for that to be successful there is no doubt that we need to strengthen the public healthcare system. I think that all stakeholders have articulated this. The reality is the state of the public healthcare system is not something that happened over night, it has taken years, some even say decades for us to get here."

Prior to his retirement, Mr Brown wrote a detailed report to Health Minister Dr Duane Sands in which he itemised areas of massive underfunding and inefficiencies which he warned were having a direct affect on patients. Mr Brown pointed to an "unacceptable" state of public health services, noting access to service is compromised on a daily basis, physical infrastructure is deteriorating and there is a more worrying unnecessary patient risk factor, blamed on poorly functioning medical equipment. His eight-page letter sent to Dr Sands was sent roughly two weeks before he went into retirement, Mr Brown further highlighted a catalogue of capital works projects, just a few of which have started, but generally no funding has ever been provided. To complete these projects, said Mr Brown, the PHA would need $43,181,178.

"Collapsing infrastructure, broken equipment, inadequate provision of staff; particularly nurses, doctors and allied health personnel has led to a situation in which access to healthcare services and patient dignity - particularly in Accident and Emergency (A&E) and the Maternity ward - are compromised on a daily basis," wrote Mr Brown.

"Indeed our inability to properly budget and allocate sufficient finances for medicine, medical and surgical supplies, equipment, staff and infrastructure upgrades and maintenance has directly impacted the delivery and quality of our services and the ongoing deterioration of our physical infrastructure."

Mr Komolafe noted funding continues to be a major issue for the public health care system.

"The reality is that healthcare costs globally continue to rise. Technology and advancements in medicine are bringing about more effective procedures but it all comes at a cost. Procedures are becoming less evasive now but it comes at a greater cost."

Commenting further on the report Mr Komolafe stated: "The reality is we always knew about this. Going forward there has to a comprehensive healthcare reform which does not only look at treatment of sick people but also keeping people healthy. Comprehensive healthcare reform must not only be about the Ministry of Health. We have to go beyond that and look to education because we have high rate of childhood obesity, we have to look at the lunch programmes, taxes on healthcare, health insurance and taxes on healthy foods to encourage people to live a more healthy lifestyle. We shouldn't be myopic in our view of it and just look at the Ministry of Health."