Local government, national health insurance, issues for urgent attention!!!

Editor: Congrats to Comrade Ralph for an unprecedented fourth term. Nuff things achieved that Vincentians are benefitting from and for that we are grateful, but there are a few unfinished tasks that would make life even better and more organized if there was a local government structure in place, as well as National Health Insurance.{{more}}

Early in the ULP reign, national consultations were held about the reintroduction of local government and the structure it should take, but alas, nothing much was heard, as the discussion petered out, without any mention being made of it from any of the campaign platforms in the run-up to the recently concluded elections. Comrade Ralph even admitted during his victory rally speech at the AIA that there needs to be more regular connection between the populace and the state machinery to ensure that constituency problems can be solved quickly, a situation that can be addressed easily with a properly organized local government structure. Right now central government is functioning like local government, which brings undue stress to central government officials, by having to deal with relatively mundane issues.

Too often constituents have to journey to town to meet with their representative to have a drain cut near their property, or to build a retaining wall, or repair a broken drain, all important issues, but which could have been addressed within their community once the proper structure is in place and working. The role of central government deals mainly with building schools, roads and other major infrastructure, foreign policy, health, agriculture and trade, among other matters, while these matters of minor importance can be managed by a mayor or district councillor, allowing ministers at central government level to deal effectively with the substantive matter of their portfolio. Other developments, like the AIA, may have overshadowed the local government discussion, but it must be revisited and implemented sooner than later.

National Health Insurance (NHI) is of critical importance to the well-being of Vincentians. The majority of Vincentians are ‘financially vulnerable’ and cannot afford private health insurance, and when it comes to advanced medical care, including dialysis, we end up in a crisis which could effectively be absorbed by a functional NHI. The fact is, that NHI legislation has already been drafted and only has to be discussed and approved by Parliament … this draft was ready since 2001. The Opposition needs to present the NHI Bill to Parliament for discussion as a matter of national priority.

Had the NHI Act been passed since 2001, the amount of collections made from then until 2015 would have provided the NHI with sufficient funds to help finance a modern hospital, which Vincentians urgently need. Had our NHI been instituted in 2001, we would have been ahead of the US, who only got Obamacare going about 2006 thereabout. NHI is absolutely necessary; very often we hear on the radio or read in the papers that Vincentians are requesting financial help from the public to help one of their relatives to pay for advanced medical care not available in SVG; with NHI, your medical financial worries would be reduced. As we grow older, medical care becomes of greater importance, and as we have an active young population, there will be both sporting and vehicular accidents, among other medical ailments; therefore, a modern hospital and a complementary National Health Insurance service would go a long way in providing the requisite medical attention and financial assistance to Vincentians.

Finally, I agree that once elected, Parliamentarians must attend meetings of the House, unless indisposed for good reasons. An Opposition cannot properly represent its constituents on matters of national importance by absenting themselves from the discussion. If they are dissatisfied about any matter(s), they must say so and give plausible reasons, and let the public know, because most meetings of the House are broadcast live via radio; they can also use other media to publicize their grievances, but walking and staying out in my opinion is not an effective strategy. Additionally, our political system is designed to keep elected members in Opposition at a disadvantage, by not allowing Opposition members to present a budget for spending on projects within their constituency, which is unfair to the constituents whom they represent, because everybody contributes to the national purse through the taxes we pay. The way it goes now, “when we in power we grinding your tail, and when they in power they grinding what’s just below your tail” … it’s just not right and creates an unnecessary vicious cycle …. I say no more.

Donald A De Riggs