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Contact:
Rose Marie Harris
Friday, May 09, 2003 - The issue of Health Care Financing is to be given
serious consideration by the government of Saint Lucia this financial year.
Speaking during the inauguration of the St. Jude Hospital Management Board,
Thursday May 07, 2003, Prime Minister Honourable Dr. Kenny Anthony lamented that
while the island’s health institutions are under pressure to provide the best
possible health care services, the vast majority of Saint Lucians do not honour
their medical bills. This Dr. Anthony said is hindering the progress of
government in enhancing the health sector.
“It is quite clear too that our people need to understand that unless we can
cement health care services then they are not going to get the quality of
services that they need. As your prime minister I am wounded each time a Saint
Lucian has to go to Martinique or Barbados for treatment because we do not have
the resources. I know that we have the human resources. There can be no question
that we have excellent and well trained doctors in Saint Lucia, doctors who are
dedicated to their profession, doctors who want to give of their very best that
they have but we suffer because we do not have all the resources that we need to
provide the health care that the country demands.”
Dr. Anthony is of the view that Saint Lucia can provide the resources needed to
enhance its health services but the key lies in maximising returns from the
services that is provided.
“There are Saint Lucians who have the ability to pay but will not pay because
they feel that the institution is a government institution and so the government
must bear the responsibility. There are those who have never historically have
never bothered or cared about paying their bills but I know too that there are
thousand of Saint Lucian who are also unable to pay, they are willing but either
they do not attract employment, do not have the kind of savings that they need
to meet the cost of health care and we cannot as a country deny those
individuals health care because they are destitute, because they are
unemployed,” Dr. Anthony explained.
It is hoped that with the inauguration of the new management board for the St.
Jude Hospital, the problem of health financing can be addressed. Already Dr.
Anthony has outlined a number of options to enhance the island’s health care.
These include the entire nation bearing the responsibility of financing health
care, implementing new methods of securing financing for the hospital and health
facilities.
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