National Health Insurance Now

There is a lot of mischief in the air concerning the proposed National Health Insurance Project. At the very heart of what we call ‘this mischief’ is the idea that some how acceptance or rejection of this proposal has something or the other to do with persuading the people.

As a consequence, some people have resorted to any number of tactics that owe their provenance to advertising, marketing, public relations and propaganda.

Indeed, things have gotten so much out of hand that there are voices in the wind that can be heard crying as to how the current administration is losing out in the public relations and propaganda worlds.

This might well be true. The fact of the matter, however, is that this is neither here nor there as far as National Health Insurance is concerned. Nothing in this proposal has any thing to do with plebiscite, referendum or radio talk show.

This project has all to do with bringing to fruition an idea and plan that has been in gestation for decades. And so it is that we wholeheartedly agree with law makers who say that this is an idea whose time has come.

We say debate the issue fully, vote on it and then do the next best thing on the agenda. That is how it is done in a democracy. It is all for the good when a regime makes good on a solemn promise.

We have had it with all those dire warnings as to how the scheme is going to bankrupt the country and as to how the poor people are going to over-run the system. And then there is all that other tripe as to how people with nothing better to do, will make exorbitant claims on the system.

We just do not believe it.

The vast majority of Bahamians are hard-working, dignified people who will not stoop to such low depths.

We are all for controls. And for sure, we are all for accountability.

Many Bahamians are most impressed by reports that international organizations have been consulted. This would suggest that the consummate professionals and other honest people on the Health Commission are to be congratulated for their examination of best practices world-wide.

They were concerned with health. And as we all say, the health of the nation is the wealth of the nation. While everyone can and does give lip service to this cliché, there are many who wish to keep things just the way they are.

Things will not stay the way they have always been.

That is why we have elections. We do so to keep abreast of changing views, values and priorities.

These do change. More specifically, we believe that Bahamians –in their vast majority- are prepared to do whatever they are called upon in order to make this health scheme a successful reality.

In time- those who now artfully oppose, will have a change of heart and give this initiative their blessing, no matter how filled that blessing might be with caveat and qualification.

This has been the experience in times past.

In this regard, we so vividly recall that sad time in the sixties when some of our fellow Bahamians thought that the world was coming to an end when Majority Rule became the political order of the day.

And more to the point as regards, social security, we remember that time when gloom, doom and damnation were expected to follow once National Insurance was introduced.

Thirty two years later, the sky has still not fallen.

And so the time will come when Bahamians would know and recognize that National Health Insurance is a good thing. It will allow for more dignity and it will help our people.

There is no way under the sun that the Opposition should ever allow itself to be so naïve that it would want to believe that the majority of Bahamians do not want National Health Insurance. They do.

We counsel and caution all and sundry who vote in the Assembly, please remember that the eyes of the nation are on you. Do what you know is the right thing.