by Rick Lowe

In the run up to passing the National Health Insurance Act (NHI) in Parliament last week (December 7, 2006) there were countless speeches made, both in and out of Parliament, all touting the importance of implementing the NHI.

Of course, there has also been a lot of energy expended by the designers of this “perfect plan” that the PLP government is pushing. The only difficulty is, the details of the NHI are kept locked up from public scrutiny for reasons known only to the Prime Minister and his cohorts.

In opposition to governments approach to this major decision, numerous groups came together and formed the National Coalition for Health Care Reform (the Coalition). (In the interest of transparency, I represent The Bahamas Motor Dealers Association and The Nassau Institute on the Coalition). These many disparate groups have mounted an impressive campaign to obtain information from the government on what the plan entails, but to date very little has been forthcoming. No one, outside a small circle of politico’s and bureaucrats, has seen the much ballyhooed actuarial study or the reports from the vaunted International Labour Organization or any other consultants for that matter.

It is also important to note that the Coalition has stated that they support the idea of an NHI plan but they have numerous concerns that they would like answered before the government proceeds.

With this in mind, it is interesting to read a brief list of excerpts from “Our Plan”, the PLP’s election platform, and several speeches as carried by the newspapers and elsewhere.

In “Our Plan” in 2002, when campaigning to win the government, Mr. Perry Christie promised:

“In the process of ushering in a new sense of national pride, we will lead by example.
The Government that I shall lead, if I am given the honour on May 2nd to become
your Prime Minister, will conduct itself according to a rigid, uncompromising code
of complete honesty, integrity and transparency.”

He goes on to say:

“A new millennium demands a new sort of leadership and government – one that listens as well as speaks. It must know where it wants to go but takes the people there by persuasion rather than force.”

In The Tribune of November 23, 2006, Dr. Bernard Nottage, Minister of Health is quoted as saying that the practices of some private insurers are:

“discriminatory, unfair, and ungodly”.

In The Tribune of November 29, 2006, Mr. Paul Moss, an attorney and member of the newly formed group, Bahamians for National Health Insurance, echoing the government line, said:

“It’s all about money for the opponents, not the interests of the country or people. I find it perplexing that those who took a vow to fight for patients in need are seemingly fighting for profit.”

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site, Mr. Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs, speaking about the Coalition said:

“Their objections have been put in a slick advertising campaign that is disingenuous at best and quite frankly dishonest.”

In the Bahama Journal, Prime Minister Perry Christie had this to say about people who are not prepared to support the NHI at this time:

“They are only expressing that they care only about themselves.”

I think you get the drift? When in opposition the PLP were quite happy to sell the country a bill of goods that they would conduct themselves “according to a rigid, uncompromising code of complete honesty, integrity and transparency.”

Now that they are the government, and citizens have legitimate concerns and are prepared to voice them, they (the PLP) have left the “high road” to demonize all and sundry with a baseless and immature strategy.

I for one am proud of what the Coalition has accomplished to date. At least now the government has promised to share the information they have, but only if they Coalition takes the debate out of the court of public opinion. While I am personally uncomfortable with this approach because of past experiences with this government and its predecessor, I sincerely hope that Dr. Nottage will live up to this new promise.

However, I am confused as to why the details of this great NHI scheme, that will be funded by the public, has to be cloaked in secrecy.

At the end of the day, the Coalition wants what is best for all concerned and to be demonized by the very government that will need their services to the country in one way or another is extremely disconcerting.

What makes this all so sad is that virtually every government MP got up to pat themselves on the back and hail this great programme by by the PLP and not one shred of documentation was placed on the table in support of their perfect plan. No actuarial review. No minutes of the “consultations” with the “stakeholders”. No reports from international consultants or bodies. Absolutely nothing but repetitious bellicosity and insults! In fact, the so-called parliamentary debate was quite immature for the nations leaders. I have seen high school students better prepared for a mock UN debate!

So much for “a new sort of leadership and government – one that listens as well as speaks”. And a government that knows “where it wants to go but takes the people there by persuasion rather than force.”

As H.L. Menken said: “Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under”. We should at least be ashamed of the comments made by this one, if nothing else.

Menken also said that: “It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office.”

I feel a very close kinship to Menken for some reason. Do you?