Well the NCHCR has finally submitted it's report to the new Minister of Health.
Click here... for a pdf copy.
I should point out, in the interest of transparency, that I served on this coalition as a representative of the Nassau Institute.
It was the Nassau Institute that first pulled a wide cross section of interested parties together from which the NCHCR was formed.
The process has been an interesting one to say the least.
I'm not sure I like committees that give the appearance of back door politics and secrecy etc. I find that distasteful, particularly as there is no hidden agenda that I am aware of, so why hold information back from the public?
How do we ever expect to hold our political class accountable? At least we should attempt to hold them as accountable as they expect to hold the rest of us. I'm convinved that if we continue negotiating issues of national importance behind closed doors we are doomed to failure.
In the final, it is doubtful that all this work will be put to good use by the current Minister of Health. Upon being offered free advice from a renowned international health care economist he told me that The Bahamas didn't need outsiders to help. We know what we are doing.
I was flabbergasted to say the least with that answer. The Bahamas has an opportunity to get free advice from an authority on this important subject and the government thumbs its nose.
Of course the government does not have to take the advice, but it just might help, or put cards on the table that we have not thought about.
Silly me, I forgot that once one becomes a Minister in our government some of them are suddenly transformed into a fount of all knowledge.
Is there any wonder the sky seems to be falling?
