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Contact:
John Emmanuel
Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - The nation’s health, internal security and
youth. These are what Governor General, Her Excellency Dame Pearlette Louisy
says will be the government’s key priorities for the fiscal year 2004/05.
Delivering the Throne Speech at the opening of the fourth session of the Eighth
Parliament today, Dame Pearlette told the nation via a joint sitting of the
Upper and Lower House of Parliament that her Government proposes to create a new
framework of health provision, that will radically change access to health care
for the vast majority of St. Lucians.
She says the establishment of a Task Force on National Health Insurance (NHI)
has completed its proposals, leading to a universal health care program, aimed
at providing access to quality health care to all St. Lucians regardless of
social status, while allowing the exercise of choice in the selection of
caregiver. That task force, Dame Pearlette explains has been mandated to
commence the widest public discussion and sensitization, so that all St. Lucians
will be familiar with the advantages and responsibilities associated with this
national imperative.
“In this endeavor Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, we must all face up to reality.
Universal health care is a necessity. No civilized country can allow the right
to health care to be contingent on economic means. The right to health care is a
human right. But there are costs associated with this and that is where the
presence of the theme of this independence year assumes a more profound
dimension”, the Governor General said. Administering the plan which incorporates
general, psychiatric, emergency care, diagnostic services, pharmaceutics and
overseas care will require an annual amount of $30 million, and Dame Pearlette
made it clear that government could not be expected to bear the full cost. The
commitment of all she said would be imperative, making for a national koud-main.
Commenting on the inevitable changes facing the region come 2005, Dame Pearlette
says January of next year will see the entire English speaking Caribbean
becoming a single market and economy, signaling a new political geography that
will usher in the free movement of people, goods and services. In light of that
she says a radical review of how St. Lucians think, move and behave in the new
Caribbean space was necessary. She notes that governments, private sector, and
civil society will also be equally challenged to make the inescapable
adjustments
“Above every twist in the accustomed channels of our thought and behavior, the
most challenging is going to be the acceptance of that type of reciprocity, the
acceptance that we can no longer expect to have our cake and eat it. We cannot
be free to seek jobs abroad and not have others come here seeking work too. We
cannot own land in their islands and not have them claim a piece of St. Lucia
also. We cannot seek their investment but protect ourselves from their
competition,” laments Dame Pearlette.
She notes that 2006 will see major changes in the banana trading regime as what
remains of preferential access comes to an end, to be replaced by what is
expected to be a tariff only system. “The precise operation of that new regime
is still uncertain, but what must clearly be anticipated and understood is that
no-one is going to fight costly battles on our behalf to secure privileges that
all global trends seek to reverse.”
In light of those developments Dame Pearlette has called on St. Lucian farmers
to play their part, by taking responsibility for the development and survival of
the industry.
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