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‘No concerns’ over Cuba NHI fall back plan

As of Wednesday, January 20, 2016

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A well-known physician yesterday said he had “no concerns” should the Government import doctors from Cuba and abroad in a bid to overcome healthcare industry resistance to the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme.

Dr Duane Sands, the newly-ratified FNM candidate for Elizabeth, said the Christie administration should “feel free” to bring in Cuban doctors, suggesting the quality of expertise offered would be inferior to that provided by Bahamian physicians.

He also implied that such a move would not be well-received by Bahamian patients, amid suggestions by his fellow doctors that ‘Cuban imports’ were among the contingency plans being considered by the Government should too few doctors register to be NHI providers.

One well-known private doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Tribune Business that the profession had been informed by Ministry of Health insiders that senior government officials visited Cuba on a doctor recruiting trip late last year.

Asked about the implications of this, and the potential recruitment of foreign doctors to overcome NHI resistance, Dr Sands told Tribune Business: “Tell them [the Government] to feel free, go ahead. Let’s see how that plan is received by Bahamians.

“Let’s see what quality of clinicians we will get from Cuba to come and work in the Bahamas. Good luck with that. If they want to try that, let them go ahead. I certainly have no concerns. If you want to bring in Cuban doctors to compete with me, go right ahead.”

One of Cuba’s major export and hard currency earners is the exportation of its skilled labour, including doctors and nurses, to other nations - particularly in Africa and elsewhere in Latin America.

And, amid the Government’s heavy-handed reaction the refusal of senior public sector doctors to register for NHI, the medical profession is concerned that ‘Cuban imports’ could be the contingency plan referred to by Shane Gibson, minister of labour and National Insurance.

Dr Sands yesterday questioned whether the Government was now seeking to “marginalise a legitimate professional grouping because they have not pandered to the political grandstanding of your group”, when it had just legalised a previously illegal industry in the form of web shops.

The well-known physician said Mr Gibson had “shot himself in the foot” by branding the public sector doctors as “greedy” for declining to sign on to NHI, and added: “I guess he’s used to getting what he wants by insults, but I think he’s met his match.”

Pointing out that the doctors attacked by Mr Gibson were not from the private sector, Dr Sands questioned whether his views reflected those of the entire Christie Cabinet.

“They demonstrate a level of contempt and ignorance for the sacrificial service of many Bahamians and non-Bahamian consultants who every day provide a yeoman’s level of service to the people of the Bahamas,” he added of Mr Gibson’s comments.

Comments

sheeprunner12 8 years, 3 months ago

Cuban "professionals" are not the answer to our problems in this country ............ just look at what quality we are getting for the Cuban teachers in our public schools ......... For God sake, we don't need no more Cubians here .............. Bahamians first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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GrassRoot 8 years, 3 months ago

the few Cuban teachers I met, had an outstanding professional approach and ethics. Bahamian are usually first in line to get their paychecks only.

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sheeprunner12 8 years, 3 months ago

Grassroot .............. scores of them come here and cannot communicate in English in the classrooms ....... they simply live in a hotel and collect their checks until the end of the school year .............. true, a few are OK

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Honestman 8 years, 3 months ago

Predicted Outcome of NHI:

  1. Most employers will maintain the group health covers for their staff.
  2. Many if not most local doctors and consultants will opt out of NHI and work on a private basis.
  3. There will be some shrinkage of the private health insurance sector.
  4. Government will force all Civil Servants to switch over to NHI.
  5. Following the roll out of Primary cover in the Summer, the penny will soon drop amongst the deluded that service levels are worse than before leading to major protestations and Trade Unions threatening strike action.
  6. Increased NIB contributions will be levied in July allowing government to build on the illusion that the system is moving forward and is sustainable. This will be a tax on the working man and most employees will derive no benefit as they will continue to rely on their employer's group health programmes.
  7. Some additional doctors will be drafted in from Cuba, Philippines, India but service levels will remain unacceptable with major waiting times to see a GP.
  8. Government will increase funding for catastrophic care in the lead up to May 2017 in the full knowledge that such funding is not sustainable without a huge increase in NIB contributions.
  9. Government will deny all of 8. above hoping it can win the election and then do what it wants subsequently.
  10. The electorate will see through the PLP's deceit and re-elect the FNM who will revisit the entire scheme with a promise to create a workable NHI allowing citizens to opt in or out depending on their circumstances.
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Economist 8 years, 3 months ago

All for an NHI that is unsustainable before it starts.

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Sickened 8 years, 3 months ago

NHI is a win/win for PLP. If it doesn't get them re-elected by the masses (of D average) in 2017 it will certainly get them elected back to office in 2022, because... once this scheme is operational and Bahamian doctors start leaving and insurance companies close down and the middle class leave the country, and this scheme literally bankrupts the country, there is seriously NO WAY the FNM can hope to fix the mess in 5 years.

LISTEN TO ME CAREFULLY, this IS the last nail in our coffin.

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BMW 8 years, 3 months ago

I agree 100% !!!!! Put my house on the market today. Not comfortable in my birth country anymore!

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Sickened 8 years, 3 months ago

Someone's coming to look at my house today around noon. It's their second visit. Wish me luck!!

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TalRussell 8 years, 3 months ago

Comrades if the PLP Cabinet plans on allowing any doctor to opt out of BahamaCARE and to also allow people to choose between private Health Care and BahammCARE, this is not the way fix a broken Health Care system.
Any doctor who decides not to accept BahamaCARE patients - they can damn well surrender their medical practice license and relocate to another country, or become BahamaCARE Beach Bums.
Yes, any doctor - family doctor or specialists - means exactly that - ANY!

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Islandgirl 8 years, 3 months ago

Doctors are Bahamians as well, and should have the right to reside and make an honest living in their own country just like any other productive member of society does. "Allowing" a doctor to opt out...how can you even type out a phrase like that? Why do we "allow' these people to rape and pillage the country the way they do? That is a more feasible question. You cannot bully people into accepting what YOU feel is correct. Life is about choices. Democracy is about choices. This brand of communism that you are ardently pushing for is not acceptable, and you will soon bear witness to how going down this path will lead to the ultimate destruction of this society. Instead encourage persons to care better for themselves. Eat healthier. Exercise. If you are prescribed medication, ask questions and take them as instructed and not just when you feel like it. Educate yourself "comrade" before continuing with this nonsense. "Become bahamacare beach bums" because they will not be manhandled; you people are really out of control. Class action lawsuit, with the funds to come from all the stolen money and swiss bank accounts of these "esteemed and honourable" politicians.

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TalRussell 8 years, 3 months ago

Comrade Islandgirl take a closer look around you cause obviously you never noticed that an alarming 45% of the people living in we capital island city of Nassau and second island city island Freeport, only still have but 60% of their teeth. That can't be good.

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Islandgirl 8 years, 3 months ago

That is why the public health care system offers dental care; the educational system teaches about proper oral hygiene; nurses come in to the schools see children to attend to their immunization and health needs. Obviously you assume quite a bit to determine what I have or have not noticed. I know that everyone is entitled to access to health care. We already have that. I know that we should all respect our bodies enough to eat in a healthy fashion, avoid smoking and heavy drinking which can cause the teeth loss you refer to. Not everyone does that, whose fault is it? I know that if healthy foods are made more affordable then more people can get it and improve their health by it. With all the taxes and duties levied, whose fault is that? I know that if the educational system was better and parents took time with their children and urged them to aim high as opposed to putting their future on a game of chance, producing so many children that they lose a chance at a decent upbringing, and having them all without a plan for their futures we would have more productive and mobile citizens, whose fault is that? I know if the politicians would put country above self, and not steal, thrive off sweetheart deals, and drive the country into the gutter we all would do better, and whose fault is that? The thing is, take responsibility for yourself and your actions, and stop looking to blame and climb onto the backs of others who strove to get better in an effort to make things better for yourself. There are all kinds of things wrong with that. Despite the styling of language you deliberately use for all your writings on here, you are intelligent enough to know that. Imposing the government's avarice and selfish will on a legal and disciplined profession as a means to stay in power is disgraceful.

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GrassRoot 8 years, 3 months ago

You are just a little dictator, right? are you also practicing your speeches in front of the mirror? The problem with the Nazi NHI approach of this government is that Bahamian doctors in med school and persons considering going to med school will never, ever return again. So the long term effect is that the Gov will be stuck with importing more and more foreign doctors as time goes on. This is not sustainable. I am all for Cuban doctors to be brought in to populate the out-island for a few years. Having said this, I would love to see the Gov taking a similar approach on the lawyers and destroy that cartel. But neither PGC, the DPM, nor Fweddy, nor anybody else has the cojones to do that.

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birdiestrachan 8 years, 3 months ago

I have had reasons to be around the hospital during the Christmas season. All kinds of people were there ,person who one would believe would be able to pay for private care. But many of the Bahamians working in the medical field are not kind at all. Doctor Sands is a very pompous man. As far as greed is concerned he should be very familiar.

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GrassRoot 8 years, 3 months ago

whats your point? Sands and PGC will be long gone and your and my kids will still clean up the mess THIS NHI approach will create (and pay for it). I am all for an affordable care for all Bahamians and non-Bahamians residing here. The Out-Island issue must be fixed, I agree. Health levels must be improved in the poor and middle class of the Bahamas, but this pi##ing off everybody approach by the Government is ridiculous. Its like Baha Mar, big words, big actions and at the end another white elephant. The people suffering are the people that will sign up for NHI, drop their private insurance and then get run over by a truck as NHI will not be able to deliver. These are the people with jobs, that consume to most to feed the VAT monster, buy cars, employ local staff, gardeners, go out on the weekends. The financial consequences of a wrongly implemented NHI will hurt the middle class in the Bahamas.

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GrassRoot 8 years, 3 months ago

now that we are at it, can you please also import (I) teachers, (ii) lawyers, (iii) farmers, (iv) rum factory workers, (v) servers, (vi) taxi drivers, (vii) pilots, from Cuba. THIS would really help our economy, and we would finally become a tourist market that can communicate with South American guests. P.S. yep and bring in a bunch of cigar rollers, we could use that as well.

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Baha10 8 years, 3 months ago

Interesting debate. Whilst the approach the Government is taking towards implementaion may be flawed, their ultimate desire is not, and the problem people like Dr. Sands have is that, irrespective of political persuasion, they have "arrogantly"been using their medical skills to play "God" with Bahamian lives and forgotten long ago in favor of financial gain what the Hippocratic Oath even is, much less what it was intended to ensure by allowing the general public access to such medical skills for the good of mankind, irrespective of financial reward.

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GrassRoot 8 years, 3 months ago

Bana10: I agree, that NHI must be implement, but in a open discussion. My point is that it is possible to bring all to the table and find a way how to deal with that. The Government acts like an Elephant in the glass house, and honestly, PGC and the gang did not go to school long enough to understand what needs to be done and neither have the Sanigest people. I suggest you spend a Saturday morning over at the All Saints Camp, where HIV positive and other Bahamian humans were dumped by society and live off the crumbs give to them. No water, despicable sanitary installations, missing Aids medication paid for by the Clinton Foundation and stolen by the beaurocrats of this Government. Go there and see how "human" we as a society, you, me, PGC and all others have been treating the poor and unfortunate ones in the Bahamas. Our own people and blood. So hold your judgment and go save a life or two.

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Economist 8 years, 3 months ago

This country already has a very high number of citizens with health care insurance. What was and is needed is a form of subsidy to those who GENUINELY can't pay or need additional funds to pay.

Such a scheme would cost considerably less and provide better coverage.

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Honestman 8 years, 3 months ago

But that doesn't punish the working class and pander to the uneducated and gullible PLP masses.

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