EDITOR, The Tribune.

In his vainglorious attempt to sell the idea of a nationalised healthcare system (NHI), Dr. Bernard Nottage inadvertently calls the government healthcare system into question.

In suggesting that “the average person does not receive the quality of healthcare that they need, or the access to healthcare that they need when they need it in this country” confirms that healthcare provided by the government is failing the people it was designed to serve. Yet their answer is government should control private healthcare and insurance as well.

One by one, members of the government are coming out parroting the same talking point that those who criticise NHI only care about themselves. Using worn out phrases like this is typical of the vacuous arguments used by many in the political class to force their ideas on society and the taxpayer.

Nationalising healthcare is nothing to do with helping the less fortunate. That is a completely different argument. If that is truly the focus, the government should abandon their plans to take the healthcare system over and seek better alternatives to helping the less fortunate.

For too long we’ve accepted ad hominem attacks as evidence that what the government is saying is correct. Just look at the present state of public healthcare, education and more. Their success is underwhelming. This is not to suggest they don’t mean well, they just don’t grasp that more government control seems to lead to poor service and higher costs in the main.

RICK LOWE

www.weblogbahamas.com

February 14, 2016.