Gomez: NHI “perhaps the
most significant social initiative…”
Universal
Health Coverage (UHC) through the implementation of the National Health
Insurance Plan is perhaps the most significant social initiative to be
introduced in The Bahamas over the past 30 years, Minister of Health, the Hon. Dr.
Michael Perry Gomez told Parliamentarians on Wednesday.
Dr.
Gomez was the sponsor and mover of the National Health Insurance Bill 2016.
Institutional
strengthening, overall improvement and expansion of the nation’s health
infrastructure were key support activities necessary to ensure the success of NHI
said Dr. Gomez. These activities include the negotiation and signing of
contracts for services with Regulated Health Administrators and the installation
and testing of an Information technology System to manage the plan.
Further,
preparation of the regulations for the management of National Health Insurance;
the continued registration of beneficiaries through the National Insurance
Board Smart Card and the registration of public and private health providers as
NHI providers are among some of the activities related to the fine-tuning of
the various aspects of the Plan, added Dr. Gomez.
“All
of these activities will be underpinned by an expansion and intensification of
public outreach efforts to enhance awareness and knowledge of the NHI Plan,”
Dr. Gomez said.
Turning
his attention to the urgency of the hour and the human factors connected with accessing
affordable healthcare, Dr. Gomez said many Bahamians have died while the
government conducted the requisite research and due diligence.
“We
have spent the last three decades searching and researching, comparing and
consulting on how best to address the pressures and concerns over the access to
care by our people and the financing of that care. In that time, and even now,
too many of our people have faced, and still face, the hard choices of how to
manage their resources to meet their health bills. For many persons that choice
could not be made.
“The
heaviness in my heart over all of these cases of lost years, lost lives, lost
potential, now finds relief in this NHI Plan, designed to assist all, to
sustain health gains by all and to enhance our human resources capability for
securing our overall national development.”
“In
this context, NHI is perhaps the most significant social initiative to be
introduced in The Bahamas over the last three decades…” said the Health Minister.
Adding
his voice to the debate, Labour Minister the Hon. Shane Gibson told
Parliamentarians that as of July 31, 2016 some 237,000 smart cards had been
issued. Smart Cards are necessary to register for NHI.
Highlighting
the enormous of health care cost to the average Bahamian as another reason for sector
reform, Gibson pointed out that the average Bahamian household pays about
$2,000 per annum for health services, an amount many families simply cannot
afford. Further, at a cost of around $800 million per annum nationally, he
stated that The Bahamas spends approximately 10% of its GDP on health care
which is well above the Latin American and Caribbean average of 6.7% and still
over 200,000 Bahamians do not have health insurance.
Education
Minister the Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald announced his ministry’s plans to implement
a policy of healthy eating within the school system.
Deputy
Prime Minister the Hon. Philip Davis was philosophical when he told House
members that in NHI the government seeks “to remove the travesty that health is
determined by wealth. Nobody should have to choose between health and home” said
Mr. Davis.
Debate
on and passage of this historic piece of legislation is expected to be concluded
on Monday of next week.
Mitchell responds to
Haitian Ambassador
HE
Jean Geneus, Haitian Ambassador to The Bahamas was interviewed by the Tribune
earlier this week and made some specific allegations against the Bahamas
government’s immigration policy. They include the following:
·
Belonger’s
Permit applicants must do so outside The Bahamas;
·
The
Bahamas immigration policy targets and discriminates against Haitians;
·
There
were 2,000 unprocessed Belonger’s Permit applications;
·
Children
were being repatriated to Haiti to no family members;
The
Immigration Minister, the Hon. Fred Mitchell, invited the Ambassador to a
meeting at the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday morning and reported the contents
of the meeting to the House as follow:
·
There
is no requirement for people applying for the Belonger's Permit to do so
outside the country. This policy (that requires applicants to return home)
applies to work permits for first time applicants.
·
There
is no policy of profiling of Haitians and the policy is not discriminatory
toward Haitians. The policy is a generic policy which applies to all
non-nationals.
·
There
are 598 applications for Belonger’s permits (not 2,000) and to date 338 have
been processed.
·
Three
of the four children in question were interdicted in Exuma on 12th
July and were repatriated with an adult they identified as their uncle and the
fourth child interdicted on 4th August was repatriated with an adult
identified as a cousin.
Mitchell
told the House that he advised the Ambassador that such public statements that
take the government by surprise are not conducive to friendly diplomatic
relations. Further, in response to the Ambassador’s claim of not having a meeting
with the Foreign Ministry, Mitchell advised that there was no record of a
request for any meeting by the Haitian Embassy on these matters since the
Ambassador's tenure of 9 months.
Bahamas
records first case of Zika virus infection
With the state of Florida confirming 22 Zika related
infections; with Turks and Caicos reporting cases and with a travel advisory
released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bahamians were bracing for the
worst while hoping for the best.
The news of the first confirmed case of the Zika
virus came this Wednesday by the Minister of Health at a press conference where
Dr. Perry Gomez said the case occurred in an adult male resident of Pinewood
Gardens who had recently traveled to Jamaica. He said the positive result was
received by the Ministry on 9th August 2016.
“His symptoms include rash, fever, joint pains and
headache for which he sought medical care at a private health facility” said
the Health Minister.
On the issue of prevention, officials at the
Department of Environmental Health confirmed an integrated approach to
preventing the spread of the infection via the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Measures
being taken include fogging, larviciding and tossing containers, especially in
the Pinewood area.
Alfred
Sears QC to challenge for PLP leadership
Former Education Minister, Attorney General, member
for Fort Charlotte and Chair of the Council of the College of The Bahamas,
Alfred Sears, announced this week that he will contest the post of leader of
the PLP when its national convention is held this November.
“Today, we have new challenges” said Sears, “which
require that we diversify our economy beyond tourism and financial services. We
must draw on the creative imagination of Bahamians and provide more
opportunities for Bahamian ownership and entrepreneurship in order to improve
our global competitive position.”
In
response to Mr. Sears’ candidacy, Prime Minister Christie focused on the
democratic process.
“Our
convention goes by rules, and once the people comply with the rules, we’re okay”
said the Prime Minister. Mr. Christie, stressing that he had no fears
whatsoever to the leadership challenge.
Tourism
Minister the Hon. Obie Wilchcombe also responded saying that “it is Christie’s run”
and that he believes Mr. Christie will emerge as leader of the PLP after its
November convention. This followed on the heels of comments made by Education
Minister the Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald who questioned the timing of Alfred Sears’
bid for the leadership of the PLP. The Education Minister thought the leadership
bid should come after the general elections but he too believed it was unlikely
that Mr. Sears will win.
Former
Exuma MP George Smith urged all and sundry not to count Mr. Sears out, opining
that Mr. Sears’ campaign is “not dead in the water.”
Standardized test
scores the best in over twenty years
Minister
of Education, Science and Technology the Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald said the 2016
Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) and Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary
Education (BGCSE) examination results once again indicate that students are
showing year over year improvements for the past two years and the best results
test results in over twenty years.
The
Minister expressed these sentiments at a press conference at the Ministry,
Tuesday, August 9, 2016.
“The
fact of the matter is that more students are performing above average than
those performing below average. Cumulatively, more students are achieving A – D
than those receiving E and below.
“For
the BJCs 64 per cent of the grades are A – D and 36 per cent are E and below
and for the BGCSE 71 per cent of the grades are A – D, and 29 per cent are E
and below.”
Conceding
that the education system is not perfect, he rejected the notion that the
system is broken and holding our children back. Fitzgerald asserted that
successful educational systems globally have common environmental denominators,
including “the balance of political will, a bi-partisan shared vision for
education, a high level of school leadership, excellent teachers and students
and parents who appreciate the importance of education.”
He
said, “I can therefore say that our educational system is not ‘broken’ and not
holding our children back.”
Referring
to raw statistical data to support his claim of incremental academic performance
improvement, Minister Fitzgerald said approximately 11,703 candidates were
registered to sit examinations for 11 subjects offered. This was up from 2015
where 10,573 candidates sat; so in 2016 there was an increase of 1,130
candidates or a 10.69 per cent increase.
The
candidates came from 68 independent or private centres and 52 government
schools.
He
said the total number of grades awarded in 2016 was 41,894 compared to 39,657 in
2015 which was itself a record year.
“This
represents an increase of 5.64 per cent. Furthermore, in 2014 a total of 33,669
grades were awarded, which means that since 2014, 8,225 more grades were
awarded in just two years, an increase of 20 per cent in two years.”
The
Minister said this increase of 20 per cent is a direct result of a new policy
introduced in 2014 by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology where
ALL students were required before they leave grade nine to take at least four
BJC’s to meet one of the graduation requirements for the Bahamas High School
Diploma.
Parliamentary
Commissioner addresses Rotarians
With General Elections less than one year away,
Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall addressed Rotarians of West Nassau at
Poop Deck, West Bay Street, on Wednesday to heighten awareness of the need for
voters get registered.
Registration is conducted at the Mall at Marathon and Town Centre Mall Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. [with a break 4-5 p.m.]; and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Registration is conducted at Elizabeth Estates, South Beach, Carmichael Road, and Cable Beach post offices, Monday to Friday, only -- 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. [with a break 4-5 p.m.].
Registration is conducted at the Parliamentary Registration Head Office (Farrington Road) Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. [with a break 4-5 p.m.]; and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Registration is conducted at the Mall at Marathon and Town Centre Mall Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. [with a break 4-5 p.m.]; and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Registration is conducted at Elizabeth Estates, South Beach, Carmichael Road, and Cable Beach post offices, Monday to Friday, only -- 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. [with a break 4-5 p.m.].
Registration is conducted at the Parliamentary Registration Head Office (Farrington Road) Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. [with a break 4-5 p.m.]; and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
In Passing…
When
Parliament resumed on Monday, 8th August 2016, Bamboo Town MP the
Hon. Renward Wells was appointed to the post of leader of opposition business
in the House. The post was held by Central Grand Bahama MP the Hon. Neko Grant who
resigned last week.
“Personally,
I don’t think the party is united. We’re dealing with the same people and the
same attitudes…” was the sentiments expressed by South Abaco MP the Hon. Edison
Key who shot down suggestions that the FNM was united after its contentious
convention. Dr. Minnis declared the party unified after Butler-Turner threw her
support behind him.
The
tradition he started in 1998 continued this week when on Tuesday the 9th
August Prime Minister Christie made his yearly pilgrimage through the iconic
community of Fox Hill - worshipping, singing, reciting poetry and dancing with
the children of that community in four separate church settings. He visited St.
Paul’s, St. Mark’s, Mt. Carey and Macedonia. He was accompanied by Deputy Prime
Minister the Hon. Philip Brave Davis; Fox Hill MP the Hon. Fred Mitchell and
the Hon. Khaalis Rolle, State Minister for Investment.
The
Bahamas Securities Commission confirmed this week that it is currently
preparing a white paper on the development of rules and guidelines to govern
the online investment platform of crowdfunding. According to BSC Executive
Director Christina Rolle, this online platform can be used by small investors
and entrepreneurs who are unable to secure financing through commercial banks
to go directly to the public and raise capital for their ventures.
Dr.
Perry Gomez, Minister of Health revealed this week that the Bahamas government
has signed a contract for the implementation of an integrated health
information management system (IHIMS). He said that the $18.39 million contract
“represents a considerable investment in modernizing information management
throughout our health sector.”
Seventeen
year old Queen’s College senior Simone Cambridge is the 2016 All Bahamas Merit
Scholar. She is the third Queen’s College student in four years to nab this
prestigious award and the eighth in the awards twenty-two year history. She
earned a four year scholarship valued at $140,000. Twenty-one other merit
scholars received scholarship awards valued between $10,000 and $20,000 each.
The
2016 United Nations E-Government survey gave The Bahamas mixed reviews on its
level of e-government readiness to support the implementation of the UN’s 2030
Agenda and its 17 sustainable development goals. The Bahamas is ranked 93 of
193 in its e-government development; this is one spot up. The Bahamas however fell
15 spots in its e-participation index ranking from 107 to 122 of 193. Rowena
Bethel, Member of the Committee of Experts in Public Administration (CEPA),
explained that notwithstanding the large sums of money the government has spent
on developing its e-government platform, “little to no attention has been paid
to integration so these systems are able to talk to each other.”
The
testy relationship between the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers
Union (BHMAWU) and the management of the Sandals All-inclusive resort just got
worse when three union members filed a criminal complaint against members of the
hotel’s executive team. This private prosecution was against Sandals; its
general manager, Gary Williams; and its Financial Controller Ronnie Mirza on charges
of union busting or more specifically failing to enter into negotiations with
the union contrary to the Industrial Relations Act, employee intimidation and
termination of an employee.
The
Education Loan Authority reported this week that there were as much as 5,000
delinquency loans valued at around $150 million, inclusive of principal and
accrued interests between 2000 and 2015. The rate of delinquency stood at 75%
when the scheme was suspended back in 2009. The government has since re-launched
the loan scheme.
Addressing
the Rotary Club of West Nassau at their monthly luncheon meeting, Long Island
MP Loretta Butler-Turner admitted that she was in error for withdrawing from
the FNM leadership race. She said she needed forgiveness but she has no regrets
over her actions. The meeting was held at the Poop Deck on West Bay Street.
House
Speaker Dr. Kendal Major told the media on Wednesday that in hindsight, he
probably should have handled the email controversy differently. He said that he
should have asked the member for Marathon to reveal the source of the emails to
him prior to ruling on the admissibility of the email contents into the Hansard.
In the end he said he has no regrets.
Bishop
Simeon Hall this week called on the Bahamas Parliament to adopt the “personhood”
doctrine and protect the lives of those unborn. The Bishop believes that a
person who murders a pregnant woman should be charged and possibly convicted of
the murder of two persons; the mother and the unborn child. The call came in
the wake of a sentencing of two men by Justice Stephen Isaacs to 18 years imprisonment
for the murder of three people including a pregnant woman.
The
Cellular Liberalization Taskforce has confirmed this week that former insurance
executive James Campbell will chair the board of Holding Co. Former BTC
executive Alfred Philips and taskforce member Danya Wallace were appointed as
board directors. Bahamians will recall that HoldingCo is the special purpose vehicle
that holds 51.75% share interest in NewCo, the commercial entity granted the second
mobile telecommunications license by the Utilities Regulation and Competition
Authority (URCA) on 1st July 2016. The minority shareholder is Cable
Bahamas which has 48.25% shareholding in NewCo.
The
Ministry of Education announced its support for an expanded and more regulated
and structured home schooling program. They got the endorsement from home
schooling association head, Pastor Cedric Moss.
