FORMER Minister of Health Dr Perry Gomez yesterday came to the defence of his successor Dr Duane Sands, stating he does not feel the talented surgeon should be faulted for performing surgeries free of charge as a Cabinet minister.

In a departure from his party’s position, Dr Gomez said while he agreed that a regulator should not also be a practitioner, he understood there were extenuating circumstances to call upon such a top-rated surgeon in a country so small.

“You have to give and take, we’re in a small country with very few people with the talents,” Dr Gomez said. “Duane is a highly talented surgeon and I can understand him being requested to help because he’s a gifted surgeon, a cardiovascular surgeon.

“He’s the best trained for it,” Dr Gomez continued.

“I think there is one other person but I can’t remember his name. But it is no question that Sands is seen as the top cardiothoracic surgeon in the country.”

Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts has accused Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis of looking “the other way” as Dr Sands performed surgical procedures, an act he claimed was in direct violation of established and longstanding Cabinet code of ethics and procedures for its ministers.

Mr Roberts questioned who was paying Dr Sands’ professional indemnity insurance for pro bona surgeries at the Rand Memorial Hospital in Grand Bahama, and what would happen if there were any irregularities.

“Was it Dr Sands who proclaimed ‘nothing is free’ but now wishes Bahamians to believe that some things are free?” Mr Roberts asked in a statement last week.

Yesterday, Dr Gomez said: “I agree with that but there are extenuating circumstances that I’m not saying this should be something regular. I would want him to do my heart surgery.

“That’s how we got to look at it,” he added. “Don’t kill him for that.”

Dr Gomez spoke to reporters in the lobby of the convention centre at the Melia Nassau Beach Hotel as his party nominated candidates for executive leadership posts during its 53rd National Convention.

He said he had not seen many reports concerning public health and National Health Insurance, telling reporters that the government’s statements concerning the scheme were both confusing and concerning.

“It sounds confusing to me,” Dr Gomez said, “it doesn’t sound like what we left in place so I’m a little concerned about that.

“I’m very interested to see more about what’s happening at NHI. It’s not very clear to me. You can’t get a sense of it. I hear they’ve changed a lot of people I understand and that’s plagued with issues too because NHI is not a subject that is common.”

Speaking generally on the scheme, Dr Gomez said: “The essence of NHI is the removal of money from the point of care. If you don’t do that then it’s not NHI, that’s fundamental, so that the poor get treated. You know how many women stay home pregnant, don’t have the fees to go to the clinic, all that kind of stuff, and you end up with problems with the children.

“But that is the fundamental thing about NHI, the removal of money from the point of care. It doesn’t matter whether you have money or not to get care, and if that’s gone then we don’t have NHI.”

When asked about revelations that the public health sector was sorely underfunded, Dr Gomez replied: “The country is strapped for money, there is no question about that. You just do the best with what you have for the time being and that’s how you have to face it. You can’t steal, that’s how it is.”

Data seen by Tribune Business shows that NHI enrolment dropped off significantly compared with before the May 10 general election, when 7,307 people registered in April and 13,482 in May.

Registration dropped to 4,282 in June and 2,397 in July, as the government’s plans to restructure NHI became known. Enrolment fell further in August and September to 1,983 and 1,503, respectively, before hitting a low of 74 in October.

As a result, according to Dr Sands, the government rehired 18 of the 39 customer service representatives whose six-month contracts have expired.