Free health care to cost GOVT $25M

Government will spend $25 million to subsidise the free health service to be introduced at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) next year. Speaking to Newsday after the Budget presentation, Health Minister John Rahael yesterday said the complex would lose $17 million in revenue from lack of fees. He said this figure was based on estimates using statistics from the facility. Government will spend an additional $8 million for additional cost in the new year. “We think the service available at EWMSC should be available to all citizens of TT and not just those who can afford to pay.” Commenting on the announcement of universal access to medications provided by the Chronic Disease Assistance Programme (CDAP), Rahael said he was amazed at recent criticisms of  “a programme that provides free medication.”

He said the allegations were unfounded and untrue. He challenged the Public Services Association to provide evidence of its claim of preferential treatment to the relative of a Government minister. “Whoever owns the pharmacy, what does that matter? The fact is no pharmacy is given any advantage over another.” Rahael referred to the list of participants in CDAP which was provided by the National Insurance Property Development Company on Thursday as proof.  He said Nipdec was managing the programme in a transparent manner. When asked about renal transplant surgery, Rahael disclosed that a consultant will be brought to TT to advise the Ministry. “It is not just the surgery, it is the lab responsible for testing the tissue for compatibility of organs.

We have to make sure the renal surgery programme is done properly and to world standards.” He said regulations for the Human Tissue Transplant Act were recently passed and cleared the way for transplants and harvesting of organs from cadavers. Chairman of the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), Hugh Eastman, yesterday applauded Government’s announcement that fees were to be removed from services at the EWMSC. In a release yesterday, the NWRHA said it was pleased that Government increased the budget allocation for the health sector. Eastman said the NWRHA awaits further discussion on many of the plans proposed in the Budget, and hoped “the Budget allocation directly to our institutions will reflect the plans outlined in the Budget presentation.”

He said the Budget had many notable positives for health care provision for the people of TT.  Apart from the removal of fees, Eastman cited as “good news” the extension of the Chronic Disease Assistance Programme and introduction of renal surgeries EWMSC. Eastman said the NWRHA would work with the Health Ministry and other RHAs to ensure quality care and improvements as it expanded to meet the needs of a growing population. When contacted, the Medical Professionals Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MPATT) had no comment to make on the Budget, saying they had to analyse it further before issuing a statement.