Minnis vs. Davis: Ridiculous Health Quarrel

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – While hundreds of Bahamians queue up for nasty attitudes and poor medical treatment, our lawmakers are in Parliament pointing fingers as to which government is the offender in the horrible state of the Princess Margaret Hospital. 

As they point their fingers, I wish for Morticia Addams’ fingertrap to punish them for participating in this ridiculously, insulting row. Now last week in this very space, I stated that I felt the state of PMH did not lay in the hands of the current Health Minister, Dr. Michael Darville, however I look to him to go down in history as the one who fixes it. 

Prime Minister Philip Davis toured PMH on Saturday, January 28, saw the disgusting state it is in and declared there was a “health crisis”. He promised to fix this mess and in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, he announced monies are now identified to build new hospitals for both New Providence and Grand Bahama.

I watch with eagle eyes, and wait with much a bated breath, to see this come to fruition. Being a politician, while making his contribution he might have thrown one or two jabs at the former government, which clearly the real leader of the Opposition let go at first, but former Prime Minister, Dr. Hubert Minnis, decided to take the PM on, angrily casting blame on the Progressive Liberal Party for the state of PMH. In the now famous words of the Hon. Hubert Ingraham, “Chile please!”

Both PLP and Free National Movement governments are to blame, as PMH was a mess as far back as the days of Pindling. However, Dr. Minnis had a way out. A way out that would not only benefit the people of The Bahamas by giving them top notch health care, but a way out that would bring medical tourists to The Bahamas in droves. I cannot let this go! 

Johns Hopkins Hospital wanted to build a hospital here, staff it and train Bahamians in the Johns Hopkins way. For the life of me, I cannot understand why former PM Dr. Minnis, who during the pandemic, shamelessly reminded us every day that he was a medical doctor (many of us have PTSD from the constant reminders), would die on the Cabinet table without being actioned. 

Whatever the answer to that is, the same goes for Disney offering to build a children’s wing. No action! No deal!

There is no way Dr. Minnis should ever enter an argument about who is to blame regarding the poor state of healthcare in our Bahamaland. The saying, “sit small” comes to mind here and that he should do. 

A wise and trusted friend said to me, “As with too many things in our country, our public healthcare system issues have so many factors – Corruption, neglect, disregard and fatigue.” I am guided by this. 

A lot of doctors and nurses have dual employment at PMH and Doctors Hospital. While at PMH they display attitudes of disdain for their patients, but when at Doctors Hospital, where it’s nicer, the attitude is much different. 

The doctors and nurses employed at PMH might be aware of their lot in life – voiceless fish in a bigger pond. No doubt they resent that and it reflects in their attitude towards patients, coupled with small staff issues.  

Then there are the external financial interests who make a killing off PMH. For example dialysis equipment – Why would the government lease private dialysis equipment as opposed to acquiring its own at a lower cost? Who is benefiting?

Then there are the health insurance companies … this is another matter to be looked into. The rates that are charged by private facilities that milk them for “ambiance and aesthetics” compared to what they pay the public healthcare system for “picking up the slack” when people with insurance can’t afford the copay. 

What about those who make the copay and come out of the hospital with a bill larger than the copay because the health insurance they pay for every month refuses to pay for some needed medicine. Which commission or entity is watching over this stuff?

A wise person told me the healthcare system in this country will never get any better as the hands that stir the wheel are sticky from the sweetness of illness and disease. That’s heavy, but it’s something to think about. Well, that’s how I see it, anyway. 

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