Dear Editor,
Contrary to what government officials keep telling us, I have seen absolutely no significant upgrades to the current health care system, and anyone who feels as if the government is prepared to offer them any more with National Health Insurance (NHI) than they are getting now is seriously misguided. Go and spend a day at PMH or any government clinic and you will agree with me.
In all fairness, I believe that the Minister of Health Dr. Perry Gomez, really does want to see patients get the level of care that we all deserve. He has been on the front line most of his life as one of the most respected and qualified infectious disease specialists in the region, and he has seen the suffering of so many people who could not afford basic medical services, some of which were often not available through the government system.
The government does need to do more to ensure equal access to healthcare for all, but until they actually fix the system we already have - even if it means collecting some taxes to do so - they are fooling themselves that they can provide anything more.
I believe that while there may be some genuine concern on the part of the government, much of their interest in NHI is to generate political brownie points. I suspect that the masses will be told that NHI will allow them access to the same level of care of the people who are paying hundreds of dollars for health insurance now, but they will eventually be taxed only to get what they are getting now. I believe that many more people will be added to the load of patients requiring care. There will probably be longer lines and longer waiting periods (at both the government hospitals and private doctors offices) because there will be people who will drop their private insurance rather than pay for both.
Needless to say, the medical community is in an uproar for many reasons, many of which have nothing to do with money. However, they know that many of them are likely to suffer financially, just like the pharmaceutical community suffered when the National Insurance Chronic Disease Prescription Drug Plan was introduced. The pharmacists were told initially that the volume of patients on the plan would make up for the loss in profits, but no such thing happened. The Bahamas is a small country. There was no volume of patients to get.
While many 'hospital' patients did switch and start getting their prescriptions filled at the private pharmacies, many paying patients began to get the prescriptions they paid for free. There was absolutely nothing to gain. Having said that, I do believe that there are times when unfortunately, a minority of people must suffer in order that the majority of people can benefit.
What the pharmacists now need to do is find ways to offer other professional services using their qualifications and skills in order to make up for the loss, and then do better next time at negotiating with the government. Many groups have absolutely no idea how NHI is going to affect their businesses. An example is in the pharmaceutical industry. It can actually work either way - for better or for worse.
What we do know is that the government will give priority to generic drugs in order to save on costs. And there is nothing wrong with that, except the procurement of brand or generic drugs in a market like ours which is currently almost totally unregulated can be risky business. Unless drugs are sourced through the proper channels to ensure safety and efficacy, we would open up ourselves to both substandard and counterfeit drugs.
Needless to say, we need to be sending up much prayer! We know that no matter what the government decides to do, there is a higher authority and God is in full control. For those who have faith and trust in God, absolutely nothing will happen to their businesses that God does not allow! That is the peace and reassurance we can have when we put our trust, not in 'princes', but in Almighty God!
- M. Thompson
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