By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

THE first phase of National Health Insurance would see sweeping changes implemented to strengthen the nation’s existing health care system, Public Hospitals Authority Managing Director Herbert Brown yesterday suggested.

State Finance Minister Michael Halkitis confirmed last week that the additional $60m allocated to the PHA’s 2015/2016 budget would fund phase one of NHI. The scheme is to be phased in over a five-year period and is still on schedule for a January 2016 roll out, the minister said. In March, a report prepared by Sanigest Internactional, government hired consultants, estimated that NHI would cost taxpayers as $633 million if implemented as a comprehensive package.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mr Brown said he was confident that the allocation was sufficient to take the country’s health care system to another level. He told reporters that a substantial amount of the $60m allocation would be spent on infrastructure upgrades and improvements.

This is the first time that a government official has gone into detail to explain what Bahamians are to expect from the first phase of NHI.

Mr Brown said: “Health system strengthening is an ongoing process. You heard in the budget communication that the government will allocate a significant sum of money but health strengthening is an ongoing process. So if you ask me whether the funds are adequate I can tell you that it will take us a very long way.”

“(It is) not only the $60m, but you will recall that earlier this year we had a loan from First Caribbean International Bank which allowed for some of the things that we are doing now,” Mr Brown continued.

“I am satisfied from where I sit as managing director of the PHA that we are going to make a significant difference with the funds that would have been allocated in the upcoming budget to improve the quality of service to the Bahamian people.

“It is being phased in so not all will come at the same time but I believe that Bahamians will be pleased with what they see and it will make a significant difference.”

As part of the upgrade, Emergency Medical Services will experience changes, Mr Brown said. Officials propose decentralising the department, placing ambulances at several clinics at different sections of the island. He said slow ambulance response times were the main concern and impetus for the change.

The government also plans to finalise the purchase of 25 new ambulances in the coming weeks.

Sanigest has said that 90 per cent of ambulance delays in New Providence in 2012-2013 were due to “a lack of availability of a unit”.

Additionally, more than half of the 1,321 ambulance runs to southwestern New Providence took more than 20 minutes. However, ambulance runs to the central and south central areas of the island had “15 per cent or less” of its calls taking more than 20 minutes.

Mr Brown explained: “Here in New Providence one of the challenges that we have had is our Emergency Medical Services. What has happened is the aging vehicles that we have (caused an issue) so what we are going to do now is we are purchasing a total of some 25 brand new vehicles. Seventeen of them will be for New Providence and six for Grand Bahama and we will send two to Abaco.

“What this will mean is that we will reduce the response time for our patients from what is averaging now to be about 26 to 36 minutes down to be between five and eight minutes from the time we get a call to the time the ambulance would have been dispatched. That would have been significant for the residents.

“Imagine if you live in South Beach. The ambulance would have to respond from Collins Avenue to South Beach but we will now have an ambulance stationed at the South Beach Clinic, one will be at Flamingo Gardens and we hope eventually to place one at the Elizabeth Estates Clinic. So when you call 911 for an ambulance if you live in South Beach rather than the ambulance responding from the Collins Avenue station they will respond from South Beach.”

The PHA further proposes to implement an appointment system at clinics to alleviate crowding and long wait times, Mr Brown said.

In addition, officials plan to implement an electronic medical record system that will be accessed across all public clinics and hospitals.

In Grand Bahama, the PHA plans to introduce for the first time a private ward and relocate the cafeteria at the Rand Memorial Hospital to facilitate expansion efforts, Mr Brown said.