The head of the Anglican Church in The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos, His Grace Archbishop Drexel Gomez, has called on the government to break the silence on what will happen to the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme.
During the archbishop's charge at the 107 session of the Anglican Synod, he said that a "strange silence exists" regarding the future of universal medical care, and added that it is time for the government to present the nation with its proposals for providing insurance to the thousands of Bahamians who lack adequate health coverage.

"The quality of life for thousands of Bahamians is significantly reduced by the lack of adequate health insurance coverage. These persons are denied access to the medical facilities available in the country, because their financial situation does not provide sufficient funds to cover the necessary medial examinations and treatment," Archbishop Gomez said.

According to him, persons who are sick are not interested in the political issues surrounding NHI, but simply want access to appropriate medical care.

"In the national interest, let us provide a measure of hope for those persons whose quality of life is being negatively impacted by the lack of access to appropriate health care," Archbishop Gomez said.

Gomez also stressed that the health scheme situation is not unique to The Bahamas. Drawing illustrations from the United States, he pointed out that during the present presidential campaign, the provision of health care has developed as a central issue for Democrats and Republicans.

"The situation in the United States presents a strange anomaly. On the one hand, the US takes pride in possessing the most sophisticated accumulation of medical skills and facilities. On the other hand, millions of Americans are denied access due to the lack of medical insurance. In that system, the concept of universal health coverage is resisted on political and ideological grounds, fueled by powerful interest groups," Archbishop Gomez said.

"Here in The Bahamas, we are caught in a strange dilemma. After years of committees and reports, the Parliament of The Bahamas, by unanimous consent in each house of Parliament (House of Assembly and the Senate) passed into law the National Health Insurance Act, which purported to make provision for universal medical coverage for all Bahamians."

Under the former administration, a National Health Insurance Bill was passed amid some controversy over how the plan would be funded and exactly what would be covered. The Christie Administration had projected that NHI would cost $235 million annually. The new administration has not yet outlined any specifics about NHI, including how it would work and when it would become a reality.

During a recent trip from a CARICOM health summit in Trinidad and Tobago, Minister of Health and Social Development Dr. Hubert Minnis said that the Free National Movement administration is still committed to the establishment of a national health insurance plan. He noted, however government's current focus is the establishment of a national health fund, which is supposed to be the first element of NHI.