And no word on why and what they would do with health in the Bahamas, aside from the price of fish- taking this from when the PM, went to a preventable healt conference, to talk about the price of fish- literally!

We need health reform. Prevention and better care.

And no word on why and what they would do with health in the Bahamas, aside from the price of fish- taking this from when the PM, went to a preventable healt conference, to talk about the price of fish- literally!
We need health reform. Prevention and better care.
I watched the Meet the Press thing where I think it was think Candia Dames who asked the PM a question about it. This article has what he said.
http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=45&a=15678

Gov’t Committed To NHI
By Candia Dames
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham speaks to reporters during a press conference at the British Colonial Hilton on Sunday. (Photo by Candia Dames)
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham assured on Sunday that his administration is committed to "eventually" putting in place a system of National Health Insurance, but he said there are many things that would have to be done to get to that stage and gave no timeline for its full introduction.

"One day that will happen in The Bahamas," said Mr. Ingraham, when asked whether his government was committed to NHI.

"Unfortunately for The Bahamas my predecessors in office marketed a programme to the public and used the words ‘national health’, everybody is going to be covered’, without doing adequate work to cause that to happen. They were not prepared to produce that."

Prime Minister Ingraham spoke to reporters during his first "Meet the Press" event held at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel in downtown Nassau.

He said his government will move in a phased manner as it regards NHI, beginning with a National Drug Plan to provide free medications to needy Bahamians.

"We hope to produce that during the course of this year. We will then move to another phase, which may well include catastrophic illnesses or some additional things. I don’t know what they are, but they will be determined as a result of studies, but eventually we will arrive at that point," Mr. Ingraham said.

The prime minister said The Bahamas already has national health coverage on a sustained basis.

"There are few countries in the world that guarantees free hospital and outpatient care to all school-aged children, all civil servants, all indigent persons, all pensioners…The UBP did that in the 50s. It’s a question of the extent to which you can move these things forward and produce it. We inoculated every child in The Bahamas against childhood diseases," he said.

"We need to improve what we have. We need more money. We need better facilities and the rest of it and the monies can only come from a paying kind of fashion, but it’s easy to say ‘I’m going to give you national health’ and then don’t produce. Where is the national health going to come from? The same PMH is going to be there. The same clinics are going to be there, so I pay my money to the scheme and what are you going to give me? The same thing I had last week? We’re also going to begin by substantially improving PMH."

Mr. Ingraham said clearly The Bahamas needs a new hospital and will get one eventually.

He revealed that the government will seek parliamentary approval in "a couple weeks" for the Public Hospitals Authority to borrow $15 million to $20 million to upgrade many of its facilities until a new hospital could be built.

"We have outgrown the facilities we’ve got now…and so many things must be done in preparation for the eventual introduction of a National Health Insurance programme," the prime minister said.

"When you tie these things to an election and people hear these catchy phrases we all love it; there’s no one who’s opposed to it. We’d like to have national health insurance for everyone."

The Opposition has continued to accuse the FNM government of abandoning NHI, suggesting that "special interests" that helped to fund the FNM’s election campaign included interests that are opposed to NHI.

While NHI legislation was passed under the former administration, the accompanying regulations were never introduced.

Christie administration officials had revealed that the estimated annual cost of the scheme was $235 million annually.

The proposal the way is was, was never going to fly, so hopefully, this issue of NHI will be revamped and presented to the Bahamian people appropriately.

I watched the Meet the Press thing where I think it was think Candia Dames who asked the PM a question about it. This article has what he said.
http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=45&a=15678

Nice article Garnello...the PM is good for something!
:)

I don't believe the politics of him saying "The former government, did not do the proper things"....horse radish. If it's anyone who covered their bases on this, with the consent of at least half of the medical profession, including Perry Gomez, it was the PLP (with BJ Nottage, who has been at the centre of Bahamian Medical Politics for at least 20 years)...the FNM 's are the free market people. The PLP are more organized on social programs. Fact. This is why their plans, the FNMs, need to be analyzed with microscopic eye-sight.

We need prevention and not more medicines- as much. That's sick care and not better care. With this, knowing what global drug companies do for developing countries and, knowing how the FNM has not been keen on "socially compatible ideals", this is a disaster waiting to happen, if even what they want to do, gets done. We as Bahamians, need to see a doctor when we can. Not wait in a 2hr long line at a clinic, filled with over worked doctors and nurses- who may get to you that day or not. Doctors need to be covered under this, and given an incentive to see people under a better system of medial freedom.

Again, we don't need medicines as much as we need prevention. My intuition tells me that they have worked out a corporate drug sponsor, and we will pay for it in new taxes. My God. The free market tax government and party, talking about imposing new taxes!

Dear God!
:realmad:

I will be the first to say national health insurance doesnt work on any level - not in Canada, certainly wont happen in the USA, and absolutely never in a small country like the Bahamas. Cost scales will prevent it from happening here.

The proposal the way is was, was never going to fly, so hopefully, this issue of NHI will be revamped and presented to the Bahamian people appropriately.This government has never supported the notion of NHI. What they keep tooting is a N H fund. I don't think the Ingraham adminstration would ever implement a NHI plan at all during this term in office.

The proposal the way is was, was never going to fly, so hopefully, this issue of NHI will be revamped and presented to the Bahamian people appropriately.
Well, HI said that they will phase it in. The drug plan is supposed to be the first phase of it but guess what they have announced this past week that the pharmacy at the hospital will be closed on weekends!!!!

I wonder what the people suppose to do after visiting the doctor on friday evening after the pharmacy is closed and they need prescriptions filled??? Wait until monday???

What a good plan they must have!!!

This government has never supported the notion of NHI. What they keep tooting is a N H fund. I don't think the Ingraham adminstration would ever implement a NHI plan at all during this term in office.You are just completely DISHONEST but I suspect it is that you are more uninformed then dishonest.. THE FNM (as opposition) voted for NHI.. During the debate,.. they had one spokeperson.. it was HI, opposition leader at the time.. He stated the objections of the FNM to what the PLP was putting up.. a bill with no meat.. and then informed the HOUSE that He Hubert A. Ingraham would bring a true NHI about when in HE, Hubert A. Ingraham become PM of the Bahamas.. check the records.. now continue your unfocused hate of HI....

I will be the first to say national health insurance doesnt work on any level - not in Canada, certainly wont happen in the USA, and absolutely never in a small country like the Bahamas. Cost scales will prevent it from happening here.You just talking politics on behalf of the FNM who you support. The plan that exist in Canada do work for the most part. it's better than having nothing at all, which the Ingraham adminstration is not likely to implement anytime soon which is a grave disservice to the general poppulation of the Bahamas.

This government has never supported the notion of NHI. What they keep tooting is a N H fund. I don't think the Ingraham adminstration would ever implement a NHI plan at all during this term in office.
The FNM's plan is for all the persons with chronic illnesses to die, so sad!!

You are just completely DISHONEST but I suspect it is that you are more uninformed then dishonest.. THE FNM (as opposition) voted for NHI.. During the debate,.. they had one spokeperson.. it was HI, opposition leader at the time.. He stated the objections of the FNM to what the PLP was putting up.. a bill with no meat.. and then informed the HOUSE that He Hubert A. Ingraham would bring a true NHI about when in HE, Hubert A. Ingraham become PM of the Bahamas.. check the records.. now continue your unfocused hate of HI....SO ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT HI IS COMMITED TO NHI?

SO ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT HI IS COMMITED TO NHI?Let say this that I applaude canesfins for his view on NI.. from what he spews out here on BI.. I am not sure that you should label him as an FNM.. I maybe wrong.. I think that I know the political views (based on what they post) of many of BI, regular postees.. however...

The question about NI.. is not if the FNM is committed to it. HI says he will achieve it.. I believe it.. but the real question is why did Parry brought a shell of a bill to the HOUSE with no desire to bring NHI to the people, PARRY is the dishonest person here in MY VIEW....

You are just completely DISHONEST but I suspect it is that you are more uninformed then dishonest.. THE FNM (as opposition) voted for NHI.. During the debate,.. they had one spokeperson.. it was HI, opposition leader at the time.. He stated the objections of the FNM to what the PLP was putting up.. a bill with no meat.. and then informed the HOUSE that He Hubert A. Ingraham would bring a true NHI about when in HE, Hubert A. Ingraham become PM of the Bahamas.. check the records.. now continue your unfocused hate of HI....It's obvious that you think that HI is a god!! You gat serious issues!!

It's obvious that you think that HI is a god!! You gat serious issues!!.. I think you believe that HI is more of a god... that is why you tend to support the devil....

Let say this that I applaude canesfins for his view on NI.. from what he spews out here on BI.. I am not sure that you should label him as an FNM.. I maybe wrong.. I think that I know the political views (based on what they post) of many of BI, regular postees.. however...

The question about NI.. is not if the FNM is committed to it. HI says he will achieve it.. I believe it.. but the real question is why did Parry brought a shell of a bill to the HOUSE with no desire to bring NHI to the people, PARRY is the dishonest person here in MY VIEW....
Parry is but not Perry!!