The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

NEARLY 500 allied healthcare professionals will be hired by the government in an effort to shore up manpower resources, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said in the House of Assembly yesterday.

Dr Darville said since taking office last year, he has seen major deficiencies in the nation’s healthcare system and pledged to address it.

“Over the past ten months since taking responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, I have observed tremendous deficiencies that exist in our healthcare delivery system - not only in Nassau and Grand Bahama, but throughout the Family Islands,” the minister said during his budget contribution.

“During my visit to our clinics throughout the country, and trust me, I went to see them myself, ain’t no one telling me about the state of the clinics in Abaco and Eleuthera. I’ve seen ‘em and I know what I’m dealing with and it is evident that the human resources component in healthcare throughout the country is in a critical state.

“My ministry is moving to correct these deficiencies and I am pleased to announce that the Cabinet has approved the hiring of 478 - allied health professionals - clerks, handyman, nurse assistants, family islands ambulance drivers, janitors to be deployed throughout The Bahamas and the good news is I’ve already started some of the training.

“I have my first batch of practical nurse assistance graduated in July of this year to be deployed into the health care system – 50 young Bahamians who have been dying for the opportunity. They are coming on board.”

Dr Darville said health officials believe the increase, along with the 50 Cuban nurses who were previously hired, will help reduce some of the delays being experienced in the delivery of primary healthcare services.

He also said the ministry has hired 15 doctors under his leadership, adding: “I have money in this for 15 more because there is a need and we have to meet those needs.”

According to Dr Darville, the ministry has received a budget allocation for some $316m. “Of this sum, the budget allocation for the (Public) Hospitals Authority is $232,455,825 and for the National Health Insurance budget, there is $46.2m,” he added.

“The Department of Public Health, which manages our clinics in New Providence and most of the Family Islands have been allocated a budget of some $52, 935,740 proving that all arms of the ministry receive substantial increases in this budget.”

He also announced two new line items in his ministry’s budget, which includes catastrophic healthcare services and health and wellness.

The Tall Pines MP added: “With these two new line items, we are finally putting our money where our mouth is. We have a line item that is demarcated to help poor people in need. In the selective catastrophic care line item, we have allocated $10m and in the health and wellness line item, we have made available $2.5m.”

“We believe these two-line items will go a long way in addressing the country’s disease burden and will bring immediate relief to hundreds of poor Bahamians across our archipelago.”