The Tribune

• Out Island clinic overhaul expands from 9 to 19

• AG: ‘Most aggressive’ plan in Bahamas history

• ‘Don’t promise what can’t deliver’ on $66m bid

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Government plans to solve “the harsh realities” of Family Island healthcare by doubling the number of new and renovated clinics that will be overhauled via $45.5m in development financing.

Ryan Pinder, the attorney general, in addressing a recent public consultation on Eleuthera’s two new clinics revealed that the Government is expanding its healthcare transformation effort to 19 facilities as compared to the nine originally targeted by the former Minnis administration.

Acknowledging that the available funding will have to be stretched to, in effect, double the return, Mr Pinder pledged that the Government “will not - and cannot - allow” existing conditions at multiple Family Island clinics to persist given that it could compromise the quality of healthcare received by Bahamians when the COVID-19 pandemic remains a threat.

The $45.5m funding is coming from a combination of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which is providing $40m, with the $5.5m balance secured via European Union (EU) grant financing. The Attorney General revealed that a separate, COVID-related loan from the IDB worth some $20m will take the available healthcare-related financing pool to some $65m.

The $20m COVID loan, Mr Pinder added, will help finance the acquisition of 15 new ambulances for the Family Islands. And it will also fund the purchase of 50 other vehicles for use in the Bahamian healthcare sector. The construction of Eleuthera’s two proposed new clinics, at Palmetto Point and Rock Sound, is aiming for a January 2023 start,

Mr Pinder, who was standing in for Dr Michael Darville, minister of health and wellness, due to the latter’s attendance at the World Health Assembly, hailed the Davis administration’s healthcare plans as “phenomenal” and boasted that it was “setting out the most aggressive approach to health infrastructure improvements” in Bahamian history.

He told consultation attendees: “When we came to office just eight months ago, we met this loan programme in place. The plan at that time was to construct five new clinics and renovate four primary care clinics in seven islands.

“We knew that that was insufficient given the harsh realities of residents in our Family Islands. Minister Darville has travelled throughout The Bahamas and has witnessed the state of facilities. As a Government, we will not and cannot allow the conditions to persist. The Cabinet of The Bahamas, therefore, took the decision to do more with the funds provided under this loan while adhering to our contractual agreement and conforming to the policies of the [IDB].

“We will now construct nine new clinics, each at varying levels of service at Moore’s Island, Abaco; Fresh Creek and Mangrove Cay, Andros; Smith’s Bay, Cat Island; Staniel Cay and Black Point, Exuma; Long Cay; and Rock Sound and Palmetto Point, Eleuthera. We will relocate the National Reference Laboratory in New Providence to the former Bahamas Mortgage Corporation Building on Russell Road,” the Attorney General continued.

“We will modify the clinic at Matthew Town, Inagua, and renovate seven other clinics at Marsh Harbour and Fox Town, Abaco; Mastic Point, Andros; Simms and Deadman’s, Long Island; Alice Town, Bimini; and Fox Hill Clinic in New Providence. To make a comparison, the former administration planned to build and renovate nine facilities. We intend to build and renovate 19 – nine of them are new.”

Dr Darville could not be reached for comment yesterday. However, Mr Pinder told the consultation that the minister of health and wellness had “brought an aggressive focus” to the post and “is busy about shoring up the capacity of our healthcare system”.

“What this government intends for our health system is phenomenal. While there is a wider plan that includes new hospitals on greenfield spaces for New Providence and Grand Bahama, we are setting out the most aggressive approach to health infrastructure improvements in the history of our modern Bahamas,” the attorney general said, adding that the new clinics will be designed to be hurricane resistant, with renewable energy and water-saving features.

“Our infrastructure improvements will not be limited to buildings under this loan programme. We will also enhance the capacity to provide primary care by upgrading medical equipment - defibrillators, portable X-ray machines, ultrasound, electrocardiogram, and equipment for laboratory tests, dental services and preventive care,” Mr Pinder promised, with the second $20m IDB loan proceeds providing further assistance.

“With the resources of both loans, we are in the process of purchasing 15 new ambulances for facilities in our family of islands,” the Attorney General added. “All of us have the right to be transported in dignity when injured, in labour, or have some other emergency, and our health professionals should have all the tools they need to deliver optimal services. We are, therefore, purchasing 50 vehicles to facilitate their work throughout The Bahamas.

“In addition to the infrastructural works, we are constructing isolation facilities around the islands so that health professionals can safely and effectively treat patients with COVID-19 or any other airborne infectious disease. Fifteen islands have been selected for this bolstered capacity to include Abaco, Acklins, Andros, Bimini, Cat Island, Crooked Island, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama, Inagua, Long Island, Mayaguana, New Providence, Rum Cay and San Salvador.”

Mr Pinder said the Davis administration also plans to consolidate and standardise primary healthcare services provided by National Health Insurance, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) and Department of Public Health. He added that the IDB and EU funding will also be used to integrate patient records held at the 54 different clinics into one public health database accessible to all facilities.

Clay Sweeting, minister of agriculture, marine resources and Family Island affairs, and south Eleuthera’s MP, told the consultation that January 2023 was being eyed for a construction start on the new Palmetto Point and Rock Sound clinics. He added that enhanced medical care would boost the island’s economic growth prospects and make it more attractive to investors.

“Everywhere I turn, people tell me that who is not working in Eleuthera does not want to work. Our economy is booming. People are moving back home. That is what we want,” he said. “We promised to unlock this island’s potential by driving overall economic growth. With the exponential growth that we anticipate for south and central Eleuthera, we expect the two facilities will serve the area well for the foreseeable future.”

Mr Sweeting said the Rock Sound clinic will be built at a site previously identified for such a facility, and will include facilities such as an emergency room, delivery suite, prenatal examination room, x-ray facilities, dental suite, pharmacy, isolation room, ambulance bay and a morgue.

Palmetto Point, he added, will “satisfy our promise to make major investments to develop a new mini-hospital in Eleuthera” with the provision of non-complicated surgery facilities and other treatments.

Reaction to the Government’s plans was positive, although attendees called on it to finally deliver after decades of promises that have failed to come to fruition. Several commented that the existing Rock Sound clinic was old with poor working conditions for medical professionals, and Thomas Sands, Eleuthera’s Chamber of Commerce president, was quoted as saying: “How we move forward is imperative.

“Much discussion about promises of the past. Do not promise what you cannot deliver. Medical care of residents and tourists is deficient. Be assured of personal and community support.”