The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION figures are demanding answers amid allegations that police officers’ spouses and children were denied medical care because the government allegedly owes Colina Insurance Company about $100 million.

Free National Movement deputy leader Shannendon Cartwright said the controversy exposed what he described as the government’s failure to meet its most basic obligations to public servants.

“There is no excuse for what has been revealed,” Mr Cartwright said in a statement. “Police officers who are legally entitled to dependent health insurance are now being denied coverage for their spouses and children. This is not a clerical issue.”

The allegations were raised publicly on Wednesday by the Police Staff Association, which said the problem had persisted for more than a year. The association reported that at least ten officers had children denied coverage, while the spouses of three officers were also refused medical services.

On Wednesday, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe rejected claims that the government owes Colina $100 million and insisted that police officers’ medical coverage remains active. He argued that if the government were in arrears on that scale, all public servants — including himself — would be denied medical services..

Mr Munroe acknowledged receiving a memo from the PSA but said it lacked sufficient details about the affected officers, limiting the ministry’s ability to advocate on their behalf.

In his statement, Mr Cartwright said the alleged non-payment and resulting denial of coverage reflected misplaced priorities, accusing the government of spending on overseas travel and awarding no-bid contracts while public servants faced delayed salary increases and allowances.

“A government that cannot pay its obligations to police officers, teachers, and public workers, but can freely spend on travel and no-bid contracts, is a government that has lost its moral compass,” he said.

He added that “Bahamians are watching, and they are drawing their own conclusions.”

“Soon, Bahamians will have the opportunity to choose a different path,” Mr Cartwright said. “They will be able to elect a government that understands that taking care of public servants is not optional. It is a duty.”

Concerns were also raised by FNM Golden Isles candidate Brian Brown, who cited more than 30 years of experience in the insurance and financial services industry.

Mr Brown said health insurance was not a luxury, but a promise — particularly for police officers who face risks in the line of duty.

“From an insurance perspective, this cannot be treated as a minor administrative issue,” he said. “When premiums are not paid, coverage becomes uncertain, and uncertainty is unacceptable in a system that is supposed to be there when people are most vulnerable.”

He warned that arrears of that magnitude could legally allow insurers to delay or refuse payment on claims, placing officers and their families at financial and medical risk through no fault of their own.

Mr Brown said the situation raised serious questions about priorities and competence, arguing that the government could not claim to be strengthening public safety while police families faced uncertainty over access to healthcare.

“You cannot ask officers to show up with confidence while their families are left wondering whether they can access healthcare when they need it most,” he said.

He called for immediate clarity on the status of dependent coverage for police officers and public servants, prompt resolution of any outstanding obligations, and transparency so the public could understand how the situation escalated.