> He {Darville} noted that the NIB Chronic Drug Prescription Plan provides free medication to just over 44,000 Bahamians, primarily government workers and their families. The government now plans to transfer the initiative — currently managed by the Ministry of Health — to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
>
> “Under the complete universal primary healthcare package, NHI patients would see the doctors *FREE*, get the labs and diagnostics *FREE*, and very soon all medications for chronic non-communicable diseases will be provided *FREE* of charge for both private and public patients at healthcare facilities across the country that accept NHI,” he {Darville} said.

They are having to carve the NIB Chronic Drug Prescription Plan out of National Insurance because NIB is now, for all intents and purposes, essentially a bankrupt Ponzi scheme that will not be able to meet its obligations to future retirees. This is a first step towards the dismantling of our bankrupt National Insurance scheme. The pension plans of government employees are also now being operated as Ponzi schemes because of their huge unfunded obligations to future retirees. Accordingly, they too will eventually have to go through some kind of dismantling process as a result of successive corrupt governments having robbed and left bare all retirement cupboards.

This means most working Bahamians under age 56 today are not going to receive in their retirement years anywhere near the level of benefits they will need to financially survive. And it is laughable to hear a corrupt politician like Darville repeatedly telling us that these proposed legislative changes to our existing benefit schemes will ensure that we receive all sorts of alternative "free" benefits. Only a most corrupt politician like Darville is capable of telling anyone over and over again that they can be assured of getting something for ***"FREE"***.

One wonders if the Minister is suffering from a case ‘wherein ‘physician heal thyself’ must be applied because for him to continue to arise and announce these ludicrous schemes he must be suffering from psychological delusions!

Davis&Co’s government has no money, the cupboard is bare.

Despite this government’s glut of employees they cannot serve the population of the Bahamas, the NHIA is no exception.
NHI have been throttling their services to members and they aim to cut more, including payments to providers (though they’re never on time) while adding to their work load and reducing coverage.
Those applying for NHI must wait 6 months for benefits and one may rightly question what those are those services given this ‘repeal and replace’ nonsense.
They cannot afford to maintain hospitals or health facilities but miraculously they’re adding 160k patients for free meds?

Somehow this “reformed” and “replaced” NHI will be reborn as a new vehicle eligible for grants and loans from foreign sources.

Meanwhile poor Darville will be hard pressed to secure an appointment with a local Psychologist!

And crickets from Dr. Sands about what this devious scheme is really intended to do.

In the March 6 edition of The Tribune there was an article captioned:

>WSC TRIAL: ‘I’ll come up and slap you’, defence lawyer tells witness.

I posted the following comments to this article before online commenting was disabled:

>"Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson repeatedly warned him against threatening the witness. Still, he continued to chide Mr Deal."

Any lawyer who threatens to physically harm a witness in a court proceeding presided over by a judge should be referred to the investigation and/or disciplinary arms of the Bahamas Bar Association. The judge should have stopped the proceedings and made this referral on the grounds of wrongful and illegal obstruction of evidence gathering which could now easily form the basis for a mistrial. A witness threatened with physical harm cannot and should not be relied on to testify truthfully.

Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson's failure to expeditiously stop the threats raises many questions as it has likely created the grounds for a mistrial in what is proving to be a very costly trial. She should immediately refer this matter to the Bahamas Bar Association if she has not already done so.

160,000 to get free medicine’ under NHI ??

We get the same said here in Canada, it's NOT FREE, it's paid for by tax payers

P.J. O'Rourke — ‘If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free.’

Couldn't agree more ....... dim witted Darville like most of his cabinet colleagues is indeed nothing but a corrupt and deceitful nutter of the highest order.

I you are not one of the first 100 people to apply, then you ALL OUT OF LUCK, because after the first 100 people (government members, family, lovers and friends) to get the free medicine, THE MEDICINE GONE.
As our great forgotten entertainer, Mr. George Symonette, used to sing, " Never mind the noise in the market, only mind the price of the fish".
For some unknown reason(s), we keep minding the Noise In The Market and consequently pay
dearly for the high cost of the fish!

Amen!

Nailed it!

Dr Darville is an intelligent man brilliant
Not only is he a lawyer he is also an engineer
And out of his mouth comes wisdom for the law of God is in his heart
COMPASSION FOR BAHAMIANS IS FOR HIM REAL

Very good plans Dr. Darville.

Why not pay some attention to the PMH fixable issues like creating more parking space at the very back by the Collins house PMH Disabilities area where all that bushes growing so that medical staff and PMH visitors can have parking? Why can the continuous leaking roof be fixed on the second floor area?

Why the Collins house and some 6 acres and exits on Collins Ave and Shirley st which was purchased by the PLP govt. way back in the 1970's to have PMH expanded into and use the structures for Hostel or medical staff who have shifts ending at 11 pm go all the was home sleeepy, bathe sleep wake up, get ready, eat get into car and have to return at 8am next day.
Easy to have small fee paid accomodations created on Collins site and also used to house family island close family with patient stay at reasonable fee on PMH Collins House refurbished site to access medical facilities. Also in any situations needing area for housing one should have use of a hostel and even hospice housing for patient and family to be nearby.

Public Medical care should not be only for the financially Family Islanders wealthy to bring their patient to PMH and stay at a hotel.

The Collins House museum use should have been at the unused old Citi Market straight past Govt. House over the hill with lots of parking and restructured with proper Bahamian architecture.

Here we go again, another way to just throw away money and increase debt. The sensible option would simply be to cut vat off anything medical, and also insurance. More that's given free is the more we pay directly and indirectly.

Exactly! Unfortunately, the only way for politicians to make their money is to get their grubby hands on the money first.
Their motto is to collect all the money and then give back what they don't need. Very similar thinking as many of our church leaders.