Gov’t losses millions in health fees
Published:Wednesday | June 4, 2008 | 4:43 PM
The government has so far lost $450 million in health fees since the inception of its user fee abolition programme in April.
Health Minister Rudyard Spencer said to date more than 422,000 persons have benefited from the user fee abolition at public health facilities.
The number includes more than 217,000 persons at hospitals and about 205,000 at 75 Type three to five health centres across the island.
During yesterday sectoral debate, Mr. Spencer noted that the sector continued to face a major shortage in pharmaceutical services.
He said currently there are only 45 pharmacists in the public health sector.
He told parliament that the Ministry would be expanding the number of Drug Serv pharmacies in public health facilities, as a means of addressing the demand for the service.
The health minister is also hoping that this intervention will attract more pharmacists to the public health sector.