Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage said many of the people against National Health Insurance (NHI) are more interested in their "own condition" than the welfare of Bahamians.

"I do not think that any right thinking Bahamians can object to NHI," said Nottage in an interview. "Many of the voices that are against NHI are focusing not on the health and welfare of the Bahamian people, but are focusing on their own condition."

He continued, "You and I know that the average person does not receive the quality of healthcare that they need, or the access to healthcare that they need when they need it in this country. If you do not have the ability to finance your own health insurance or pay out of pocket for care some people go without care. That's not an acceptable situation in today's world. All over the world countries are looking for ways and finding ways to give access to healthcare to all people regardless of their wealth."

Registration for NHI began on January 18, the government said. The scheme will be rolled out in five stages, starting with access to primary healthcare services in April.

The Bahamas Doctors Union (BDU) along with the Medical Association of The Bahamas (MAB) and the Consultant Physicians Staff Association (CPSA) have demanded that the government respect the views of stakeholders and come up with an NHI plan that all stakeholders can buy into.

The Bahamas Insurance Association (BIA) has also been critical of the lack of information on NHI. However, the unions and associations for physicians and insurance professionals have said in recent weeks that the government has made positive strides. The doctors and the insurance industry professionals have repeatedly stressed that they are not opposed to NHI.

Prime Minister Perry Christie said last month that he does not want a fight with physicians and if anyone wants to speak with him on NHI, they can do so in person. He said people should not speak to him from "Mount Olympus" and launch "long distance aerial bombardments" in the newspapers.

Nottage said he has always been a proponent of NHI.

"I personally have been a supporter of National Health Insurance and universal healthcare from the time I graduated as a physician," he said.

"When I came back here to work in the 1970s I became president of the Medical Association of The Bahamas, the MAB, even before the government of the day committed to universal healthcare. That was a recommendation by the medical professionals in The Bahamas. I've been on this journey for 30 years. I'm a physician and that's how I made my living. But I also knew that there are many people who suffered from ill health because they couldn't get access to healthcare."

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