Health minister defends free user fee policy

The doctor who chaired the task force, which reviewed the Regional Health Authorities, said the government may not be able to sustain its free user fee policy at public health facilities.



In its 215 page report, the task force had recommended that user fees be abolished only at community health centers but retained at hospitals.



However, yesterday the Health Minister Rudyard Spencer sought to defend the government’s decision.





The health minister claims that to date Jamaicans have saved more than $1 billion since fees were removed from public health facilities in April last year.



He further said that there is nothing to indicate that the mere removal of fees at the level of primary health care while retaining fees at hospitals would change the health seeking behaviour of Jamaicans.



Public Health Specialist Dr. Winston Davidson is not very hopeful that the government’s policy can be sustained.



Dr. Davidson believes that focusing on preventative health care will help to address the likely impact of the global financial crisis on the health sector.



The health minister Rudyard Spencer said the government’s free user fee policy is the platform for the necessary reforms to the health sector and a strategic move to strengthen primary health care.



He further said the ministry was undergoing a process of transformation before the task force review and a programme of restructuring of the public health sector has started at the Ministry’s head office.



Among the review team’s findings are that the structures at the ministry are top heavy with too many director posts, particularly in administration.



Mr. Spencer is to release the findings of the report.



He has pointed out that while the government is entitled to seek contestable policy advice, this may be accepted or rejected as the administration moves to address the felt needs of the Jamaican people.