SWRHA: Non-nationals should pay fee for health care

Both SWRHA chairman Dr Alexander Sinanan and deputy chairman Valerie Alleyne-Rawlins were responding to a query by San Fernando East MP Randall Mitchell at the SWRHA’s public board meeting at the San Fernando City Hall Auditorium, Harris Promenade, San Fernando on Wednesday last.

Mitchell had asked whether patients from areas in south had to “compete” with non-nationals for bed space and if there was a policy governing free health care at public institutions for foreign nationals.

Sinanan said the SWRHA had begun to “clamp down” on non-nationals seeking health care at those public health centres under its supervision including the health centre at Icacos which is a major entry point for non-nationals from the South American mainland.

“In the current economic climate where we realise that our resources are becoming more and more scarce, we have actually started looking at documenting how many non- nationals are coming here especially since we service the south west region,” Sinanan said.

“Within recent months we have had non- nationals seeking treatment and once they are stabilised they have had to fund their own treatment.” Alleyne-Rawlins was more pointed in her remarks saying government’s policy had to change in keeping with international and regional practices saying CARICOM nations such as Barbados and Jamaica charged a fee for use of their public health institutions.

“The mere idea as nationals we pay a health surcharge and non-nationals pay nothing, we have raised this concern as an issue because not only in the first world countries but right here in the CARICOM countries, next door in Barbados and right up to Jamaica, anyone one of us become ill, we would have to pay for our care,” she said.

“And while we are not denied access, you have to pay a fee and we feel that it is time for government policy that says that non-nationals should pay a fee for service for our health care,” Alleyne-Rawlins said, and called on Mitchell to use his Cabinet status as Housing Minister to “support” the SWRHA in its request for a change in policy.

“We would be happy if you would support us in getting the government to agree to a certain charge for non-nationals to receive health care,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sinanan said his speech which he titled Trimming the Fat - was indicative of the Authority’s desire to “cut down on the wastage of valuable resources while trying to strengthen our primary care services.”