Free doctor vists for all: PM KAMLA

Coming soon! The state will pay the fees for doctors' visits

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said on Monday night that her government will soon begin paying fees for doctors' visit as part of the introduction of a smart health card for citizens.

That issue that was raised in the 2014 budget but it was vague. On Monday night she made it clear that the introduction of the new health cards means that a person can visit any doctor's office and the state will pick up the bill.

"No longer will you have to pay at the Doctor's office," she said. "The Government will take that bill up for you."

Persad-Bissessasr was speaking in Chaguanas at a meeting of the People's Partnership. 

She also explained other details of the government's health care plan and noted that it was a UNC government that started a plan to help people suffering chronic diseases.

"The PNM will come and say, as they have erroneously said over and over again, that it was a programme they started," Persad-Bissessar said.

"NO! it is time we make a bigger effort to correct that misconception - because it was the Minister of Health Dr Hamza Rafeeq, in the UNC Government of 1995-2001 who conceptualised and developed that programme for assistance to persons suffering chronic diseases."

She said the first phase of the health card system will address that. "Through this phase one...the need for money to pay for medications required to treat chronic conditions will be eliminated!" She said this would mean greater savings for those who need it most and promised that phase one will be fully implemented by the middle of January 2014.

"The first phase of this programme will be rolled out to patients suffering from Chronic diseases, under the programme which already provides assistance to approximately 60,000 persons. 

Persad-Bissessar said the programme will begin in Pharmacies, extend to medical labs and also to doctors' offices, "where this electronic card will be scanned and all of your health conditions, your medication needs, your refill cycles and current treatment will be immediately available."

She said the next phase would see the health card system extended to all. "No longer will you have to pay at the Doctor's office, the Government will take that bill up for you, putting more money into your pockets to spend on your children, to prepare for their future, to spend on your home and to improve your quality of life."

She reminded her audience that keeping health care on the front burner is part of the People's partnership promise "to transform the lives of our people, in order to transform our nation." 

She added, "We promised you a health care system that would guard your health, promote equity in access and ensure that your access to health services is easier, cheaper and less stressful.

"You will recall, we promised in our manifesto to create a system tilted towards protecting and abiding by the rights of patients, improving the physical infrastructure of health facilities, improving the operations and access to community health centres and responding to the need for better access to care for chronic health conditions."