The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I read with absolutely no surprise that KPMG’s Mark Britnell upset the business community at a recent Rotary luncheon.

I have wondered when the penny would finally drop and this country would wake up to the nonsense and self serving interests of KPMG and their health advisor Britnell.

He is no stranger to controversy in the United Kingdom having been nothing short of ostracised by the British government.

The Guardian Newspaper (UK) quotes him as saying “that the NHS would be better served by breaking with the mantra that all services should be free at the point of delivery, by allowing co-payment, where patients share the costs of care and drugs.” He goes on to say “It appears that countries that have a mixed blend of public and private provision, co-payment and social insurance are possibly more capable of providing resilient healthcare systems.”

Britnell’s comments seem sensible, so why then is he encouraging the Bahamian government to do something completely different (or so it seems)? He continues to promote the introduction of NHI without the proper financial foundations nor the government health system strengthening in place. The private public partnership they promote is nothing but a smoke screen. Doctors, of whom I know a number quite well, describe what he and the government propose as nothing short of a dictatorial and hostile public take over of the private system, a far cry from a partnership.

Mr Britnell, we encourage you to be consistent in your advice to governments regarding funding of health care reforms. Please don’t pretend an already struggling public healthcare system can provide a private level of care whilst destroying a presently efficient private system.

Mr Britnell, would you and your KPMG henchmen kindly go home!

JM

Nassau,

January 18, 2017.