By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

AFTER it was revealed that 21 customer service representatives from the National Health Insurance Secretariat have been let go, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said yesterday that it is “difficult to rationalise an excess number of individuals being paid and not providing a benefit to the Bahamian public”.

He confirmed that the workers were let go in an effort to “streamline costs”.

The workers were hired on a six-month contract and were responsible for recruiting and enrolling people for NHI.

“It is difficult to have the Bahamian people bear that cost and so we have looked at streamlining every single aspect of National Health Insurance and what we would like to do is to ensure as much of our budget goes to direct patient care,” Dr Sands said.

“We have had to reduce the number of customer service representatives who were hired on contract to only those needed to continue the enrolment process. They would have been on contract, the term of that contract was six months, so it would have been in the third month for some of those individuals and so we would have invoked an out clause on the contract for some of the customer service representatives and while it pains us that any Bahamian finds themselves without employment, it is difficult to rationalise an excess number of individuals being paid and not providing a benefit to the Bahamian public.”

Dr Sands said 25 of the most “productive, best performing customer services representatives” are still providing service to the NHI Secretariat.

In an earlier statement, the NHI Secretariat noted that NHI is “implementing changes across the organisation to streamline our operations and budget.”

The statement said because the enrolment numbers for the programme have stabilised, “a number of positions in NHI are no longer required.”

“While this has been a difficult decision to make, it is a necessary one at this time. There is a need to streamline operations and a reality that NHI Bahamas must continue to phase in health care services in a fiscally responsible manner,” the statement said.

“We wish to assure the public that this will not impact enrollment activity or access to available primary care benefits. Enrolment in NHI Bahamas is still ongoing and persons who have enrolled in NHI Bahamas and have been matched with a primary care provider continue to have access to primary care physician and laboratory services at no cost at point of care. Persons interested in enrolling can do so online or in person at your local enrolment office.”