THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
business@tribunemedia.net
‘No contributions or co-payments’ for NHI primary care By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net THE BENEFITS included under the first stage of National Health Insurance (NHI), primary care, have been outlined in a “policy paper” released yesterday, along with other details of the health care scheme in the first comprehensive overview of the initiative. As noted in the policy paper, entitled ‘Building a Healthier Bahamas’, NHI will be implemented in stages
Govt reveals benefits in first phase of health care scheme $100m annual cost at implementation phase Extra $24m cost for select specialised care
with coverage beginning with primary care. “Coverage will begin at the primary health care level, meaning the outpatient, first level of care that focuses on prevention, and addresses and co-ordinates health needs,” according to the policy paper. The initial benefits covered by NHI Bahamas will include primary health care services at approved health care providers, such as newborn care, care for those with chronic diseases, care integration, counselling, home See pg b3
NHI will stem out of country spending on health says Gomez By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
Minister of Health Dr Perry Gomez
HEALTH Minister Dr Perry Gomez said yesterday that with approximately $80m being spent annually on health care outside the Bahamas, the introduction of National Health Insurance (NHI) and modernisation of the public health care system should help to curb some of that outflow and allow local health care providers to benefit. During the debate on the National Health Insurance Bill yesterday, Dr Gomez noted that more than 200,000 Bahamians are without health insurance. The NHI Bill was tabled in Parliament last week, with several stakeholders expressing disappointment that the revised Bill had still not addressed
Crawfish season “promising” thanks to Defence Force By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net ALTHOUGH it is only 11 days into the 2016/2017 crawfish season, preliminary indications suggest that “things are looking promising”, according to Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance (BCFA) vicepresident Keith Carroll. Mr Carroll said that while a true indication of the season’s potential yield would not likely be known until the end of the month, early reports suggest that the season is shaping up to be better than last year. He credited this to Defence Force patrols during the offseason. The crawfish season opened on August 1 and runs to March 31, 2017. The BCFA has long voiced concerns over poaching by foreign fishermen, primarily Dominicans, particularly during the closed period. However Mr Caroll believes that the addition of new vessels to the Defence Force’s fleet has helped to put a dent in the poaching practice. Last month RBDF marines were involved in a shootout and subsequent high-speed chase with suspected Dominican poachers in the Cay Lobos area. “I really think that because of the work the Defence Force, especially what they were doing when the season was closed, has helped local fishermen, especially the boats down south. Based on what I’m hearing, the boats that usually have trouble to the
BCFA executive hails offseason protection Long Island fleet back on the fish after hurricane south, they are reporting that things are way better than last year and it’s a result of the Defence Force beefing up their patrols. The fishermen are grateful for that,” said Mr Carroll. “Things are looking promising, especially for the guys from Long Island whose boats were on land See pg b3
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Public reassured they can still use private schemes Minister hails “significant improvement” of Bill some outstanding concerns and had not been shown to them before it was tabled. Dr Gomez said that more than 80 changes had been made to the draft Bill, telling Parliament yesterday that the revised Bill represented a significant improvement over the draft. Dr Gomez noted that while many persons assume that under NHI they will be See pg b3
Sandals Royal Bahamian resort
Union chief claims “historic” legal move over Sandals closure By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net THE 500 and more employees of Sandals Royal Bahamian were yesterday urged by their union representatives to exercise patience as “the law of the land will vindicate them” while blasting the resort for failing to address employees on an impending two-month closure. The Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (BHMAWU), which falls under the Trade Union Congress (TUC) umbrella, has since 2009 been seeking to negotiate an industrial agreement. Yesterday, Sandals Royal Bahamian general manager Gary Williams and the resort’s financial controller Ronnie
Two executives face charges of failing to negotiate Employees still have not heard about plans to shut Cable Beach resort to close for two months from August 15 Mirza both appeared in a magistrate’s court for failing to negotiate with the union, unlawfully terminating several union executives and intimidating union executives. The men pleaded not See pg b4