Providenciales, TCI, November 28, 2016 -The PDM is not surprised by the recent revelation on the state of finances of the National Insurance Board. We are offended by the comments attributed to the Cabinet in their Cabinet Minute as we find them to be insulting to our people and shows clearly that there is a disrespect for the intellect of our people and a serious case of negligence on the part of the Government.
“I told the people of this country that something was wrong for years now with NHIP and the entire healthcare system” says Party Leader. “When I sat in the Consultative Forum, I said something was wrong: at the rate, with our population and with how much that had to be covered from the then 4%, NHIP would be financially challenged. After being elected I called for a review of the contract and NHIP. I later brought a Private Member’s Motion for a full investigation and it was blocked by the Government so nothing happened. When a few amendments were recently made that will incur further costs, I called for a review of NHIP.
I told this country as recent as a few months ago that as Leader of the Opposition and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee I had not seen an Audit (not that they were not done but none was ever laid for the 6 years it was in existence). The Minister of Finance in response to a parliamentary question that I asked inquiring as to when we might see an Audit of NHIP responded that it would come. Here we are 6 years after its introduction and there has been no public scrutiny of the finances of NHIP and now we see why these audited accounts have not been released”.
The Minister of Finance and a Minister of Health who is also Premier together with Cabinet is recorded as saying in a recent Cabinet Minute that “Cabinet expressed grave concern about the failure of NHIB Management to bring to the attention of Cabinet in a timely fashion the parlous state of its financial situation.” The people of this country need to know how is it possible for this to be happening under the noses of the people elected to manage the purse and they not know? The PDM is convinced and can not be otherwise convinced that the Government did not know all along the state of the Institution.
The PDM finds it troubling that the Cabinet Minute said for the first time a report of this nature was prepared and presented. This is an indictment on this Government and this ought to have never been the case. Healthcare is the largest expenditure in our country’s Budget and the Minister of Finance whose portfolio includes NHIP and the Premier as Minister of Health would wish for our people to believe that they did not know. If they did not know, they did not care to know and was negligent and asleep on the job.
“The management of a health system is a life or death issue and this Plan is a part of a major expenditure item that is bleeding this country. The people of this country must ask what is this critical funding towards and whether patient care is in jeopardy? What the people need to know who we owe and if $6.1m is critical, then are there other amounts that may be less critical but outstanding in payment? With the Cabinet only able to approve $2m where does that leave our patients and their care?” says Party Leader. She continued, “Last year, I was reported in one of our local papers saying that there was a cover up and I remain steadfast in this stance. We now need to know what else is to be uncovered?”
The PDM believes that both the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Health/the Premier has failed us as a people in many ways but this one is absolutely reckless and irresponsible and we find it more alarming that they are continuing to offer themselves as candidates in this upcoming election but so is the immediate past Chairman of the Board, Mr Mark Fulford who also had direct management of the Board and ought also to have known. These three gentlemen should be rejected at the Polls.
Our Party Leader has consistently called for an investigation into healthcare generally and NHIB specifically and as recent as a few weeks ago. Having brought a Motion which was successful in its passage, this Government has done nothing more than cover up the true picture and stifled the agreed Resolution passed for an investigation into healthcare. We note that there is a call by the current Government now for an investigation by the end of January next year but we demand an investigation immediately.
Our Party’s Leader has written to the Governor to this effect and we expect that the investigation will take priority given the amount of monies involved and the veil of secrecy as to its true state. The Staff at NHIB must be congratulated for its stance as it seem to have yielded this important disclosure.
The PDM believes that the Minister of Finance and the Premier should resign even before the Polling Day. They cannot in good conscience think that they are serving our people well.
We will address this issue head on and bring the much needed reform. We maintain, as we have always said, that the PNP has no moral authority to do so.
