“I would like to say to them, if they are incapable of running this country in such a way as to preserve these fundamental social rights of the Barbadian people – that is the right to free education, the right to free health care – then they should really relinquish the reins of Government and let somebody else try,” – David Commissiong

I Kammie Holder endorse the aforementioned comments  despite the pervasive vindictiveness so evident in Barbados for speaking honestly and having an opposing view. The recent pronouncement by Honourable John Boyce that user fees may have to be introduced at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital QEH seems reactionary.

Below are 8 points why I am against any wholesale fees at QEH without broad consultation as required under servant leadership.

1) It will cause the escalation of Medical Inflation
2) Medical practitioners will use this as an opportunity to raise fees
3) Medical Insurance Premiums will dramatically increase which will see persons with reduced disposable income lapsing their policies.
4) Persons using the QEH are mostly the vulnerable under the income tax regime and not the middle income.
5) Persons with non hereditary Life Style Diseases who have not altered lifestyle should be required to pay some minimum fee for drugs and doctors visits.
6) Introduce a minimum $5 drug dispensing fees which cost less than a salty snack box.
7) Shut down the QEH cafeteria as it now sells the most unhealthy food and thus sending mixed signals to it outpatient patrons.
8) The middle class cannot carry anymore burden and medical insurance premium should be a tax deduction which would allow QEH to benefit from fees that would otherwise go to other institutions.

Minister Boyce please ignore the messenger but not the message, put aside party politics as all I ask is that you consider the above 8 points.

Finally, I sent both you and Minister Inniss a text on using a QEH Lottery to run the hospital. Barbados is a gambling society and the same vulnerable pensioner you want to protect would be able to continue to gamble, win as well as contribute to the running of the QEH.

I note with interest that the Barbados Lottery has a Black Belly Sheep eating money, perhaps to show our ignorance in creating money. Every day the Lottery brags they pay out over $33 million in winnings yearly but never how much they have collected.

Finally, a friend said good idea but politicians most likely get donations from the lotteries and will not do anything to cut the hand that feed them. I don`t believe him because we have politicians who put country first and cannot be easily bought and this idea will be embraced.

Remaining silent in a participatory democracy is like not voting!