When Caribbean Community Health Ministers assemble in Guyana today for a two-day meeting, they will have the opportunity to face an issue of deepening concern to the region’s people.
It has to do with a recognised need for a region-wide common approach for non-nationals with legal status to access prescribed drugs and health care benefits – without discrimination.
This problem has been made all the more urgent for objective consideration as a result of cries against discriminatory practices being experienced by non-nationals, with Barbados referenced as a current example for its exclusion of CARICOM nationals from access to even free drugs they once received – unless they have citizenship or “permanent residence” status.
This weekend’s 21st meeting of CARICOM’s Council for Human and Social Development (COSHOD), will have a special focus on “pressing issues related to the region’s health sector development and sustainability”, according to the Community Secretariat, with the battle against chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) being a major topic for consideration.
Current chairman of COSHOD, Guyana’s Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy, who will chair the meeting, has said it would be difficult to “mobilise much needed active cooperation of nationals of CARICOM in the fight against NCDs –?which remains a major and costly headache for our Community, if we do not strive together to achieve a common policy for our nationals to access free medical benefits, wherever possible and without feeling they are being discriminated against as a consequence of either official policy or practices . . . .”
His idea would meet with the approval of St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas, who has lead responsibility in CARICOM for health and human resources development Douglas wants to see the Community “prioritise an enlightened common approach in the provision of health care for all nationals of our Community . . . .”
The controversy goes beyond the sensitive issue of excluding non-nationals. It extends to the fee structure for medication being provided by the Barbados Drug Service, which affects both nationals and non-nationals, irrespective of health problems.
In his Weekend Nation column of April 8, the economist Clyde Mascoll pointed to unjust weaknesses in the fee system, and illustrated why it “does not make any economic sense” or would achieve “the designed social equity among users . . . ”.
Minister of Health Donville Inniss reacted with bitterness against criticisms – without any reference to the arithmetic and general assessment advanced by the columnist.
Instead, Inniss declared he was “not fazed” by his critics (Sunday Sun, April 10) and opted for a personal defensive stance of the policy.
He stressed that he did not care even if it costs him votes at the next general election . . . . That comment served as a reminder that non-nationals who have legal status could vote at national elections here, pay taxes and honour all identified obligations, but (as of this month) can no longer access, free of cost, prescribed drugs or benefit from medical care, except in emergencies.
Some have already had to pay for even emergency [private] ambulance services to seek medical attention at the state-run Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
