By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage said despite comments made by National Insurance and Labour Minister Shane Gibson last week, the government does not feel that “doctors are greedy”.

He said Prime Minister Perry Christie is open to speak to and work with doctors to implement National Health Insurance (NHI). However he added that some “unlikely” people have campaigned against the universal healthcare scheme for “political” reasons, but stressed that the government could not wait for things to be perfect to roll out the initiative.

Speaking to medical professionals on behalf of the prime minister at a NHI workshop held at police headquarters on Saturday, Dr Nottage said: “It is not and has never been the government’s position that the doctors are only in the business for money.”

Last Monday, Mr Gibson criticised the Consultant Physician Staff Association (CPSA) for not supporting NHI, suggesting that the senior doctors are more interested in “making the mighty dollar” than saving lives.

Mr Gibson, the minister with responsibility for NHI’s registration campaign, suggested that the CPSA and other NHI critics have resorted to adopting an attitude of “if I can’t have it my way, then I’m going to tell the public I’m not a part of the process.”

He added that the CPSA is afraid to express its “true feelings” on NHI for fear that “the public will say they’re greedy and have no conscience.”

“Somebody . . . last week said the doctors were only in it for the money, I want you to know that is not the government’s position,” Dr Nottage, a gynaecologist by profession, said on Saturday.

“We don’t use words like ‘greedy’ to describe the doctors - well the person said they were not talking about the doctors but they were asked a question - but I want you to know that is not the government’s position. The prime minister is open, you can say many things about him and people have, but you cannot say that he does not listen.

“The most unlikely people have campaigned against NHI because of political objectives but this is not political, it is about the country’s health. This country is in need of reform in so many areas, I wonder if Bahamians are serious about - and these are not political statements - our country. We have to work together. There are some things we have to unite around and one of these things we have to unite around is the health of our people. You can fight for your money but also make sure the people of the country have access to healthcare.”

Dr Nottage said the government simply couldn’t wait to implement NHI until everything is perfect, because “everything will never be perfect.”

“Everybody is saying they support National Health Insurance but there is always a but. ‘I support it but we aren’t ready yet, I support it but we don’t have the tools, I support it but we don’t have the infrastructure.’ We cannot wait until we have a perfect environment to introduce the system, we want to improve healthcare, what we have to do is plan properly, know what we need and phase it in,” Dr Nottage said.

He added: “Okay, when this discussion started, it appeared as though the government wanted to do it all one time. The people said, ‘You can’t do that, phase it in.’ Okay so the government said we would phase it in, now you say we can’t phase it in until we have everything ready. Come on man. You all are smarter than that.”

More than 5,000 persons registered for NHI last week, according to NHI Permanent Secretary Peter Deveaux-Isaacs.

NHI registration began last Monday at National Insurance Board outlets in New Providence, including the JL Centre on Blake Road; the Town Centre Mall; and the Enoch Beckford Memorial Auditorium on Carmichael Road.

Centres are also open at NIB offices in Grand Bahama and the Family Islands.