By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
CHIEF Medical Officer Dr Glen Beneby said while National Health Insurance will be launched in January 2016, preparations to improve every aspect of the country’s health system will continue far beyond the implementation date.
Speaking to The Tribune at a Ministry of Health NHI workshop yesterday, Dr Beneby said health officials are now in full preparedness mode and have agreed on what is to be done with around 80 per cent of the healthcare system’s existing challenges.
He said: “We believe that we would have completed enough to be in a state to launch in January 2016 but the preparation will have to continue long after that time.
“We are now in preparedness mode and have engaged all of the stakeholders so they are aware of what’s happening. We have agreed on about 80 per cent of the outstanding matters but the remaining 20 per cent are more challenging issues and I think this will consume much of our attention with the stakeholders in the next three months.
“In terms of the health system strengthening, we are well on the way and we shall be prepared for the launch in January with a significant improvement in the system.”
Dr Beneby was a part of a panel of heath professionals who gathered for the NHI Discharge Planning Pilot Workshop at St Joseph’s Parish Centre on Boyd Road.
The government has said NHI will be phased in over a five-year period. The Christie administration has allocated $60m for NHI in the current fiscal year.
According to government-hired Costa Rican consultants Sanigest, the scheme could cost up to $633m annually if implemented as a comprehensive package. On the low end, NHI could cost around $362m.
Recently, Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez said the government was likely behind on its targets for NHI implementation, but insisted it would catch up.
However, this prompted leading surgeon Dr Duane Sands to criticise the government for its tardiness in meeting its universal healthcare coverage objectives and blamed it on “piss poor planning and piss poor preparation.”
Dr Sands also accused the government of no longer focusing on improving the system, but rather on achieving political points.
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