How Could ObamaCare Help The Bahamas?

The Importance of National Health in The Bahamas

Moving Forward With A National Health Care System For The Bahamas

By Dr Kevin Alcena

“The... patient should be made to understand that he or she must take charge of his own life. Don't take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop.” (Quentin Regestein)

This article will attempt to show the readers in an objective systematic way, an analysis of the importance of national health in The Bahamas in the form of a parisology.

“To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.” (Buddha)

“The chief condition on which, life, health and vigor depend on, is action. It is by action that an organism develops its faculties, increases its energy, and attains the fulfillment of its destiny.” (Colin Powell)

A National Health System coupled with good system planning would benefit the Bahamian society in a very diamantiferous way. We have to have a saxicoulus acephalous mandate for our health system for a generation that precedes us.

We must be smarter than the Americans and more diligent and transparent than the British. A comparative study of the two health care systems – The USA and The UK - conducted by some researchers a few years ago revealed that:

“According to a 2006 OECD comparative data study, the total health expenditure in 2004 by the United Kingdome was 8.3% of their gross domestic product (GDP), and the United States was 15.3% of their GDP - whereas the mean of 30 countries was 8.9%. This same study reports health expenditure in the United Kingdom as US $2,546 per capita, and US$6,102 per capita in the United States, - whereas the 30 country mean was US $2,550.

Not surprisingly, public spending differs quite significantly between the United States and the United Kingdom as well. Of their respective 2004 total health expenditure public spending - in the United States was 44.7% - whereas the 30 country mean was 73%.” (The Health Care Manager, Volume 26 Number 3).

The Bahamas can also learn a lot from the Swiss and Rwandans Health system. For example, “Rwanda’s health sector has undergone a fundamental transition in the last century; in the time before colonial era, health care consisted of traditional African healing methods. The German and later Belgian colonial period saw the emergence of faith-based health care, and with it - the introduction of modern treatment methods.” (Rwanda National Health Sector Policy, 2005).

We have to be very innovative and creative. The most important element in implementing a health system in the Bahamas is a health information system.

“A national health information system (HIS) plays an important role in ensuring that reliable and timely health information is available for operational and strategic decision making that saves lives, and enhances health. Despite its importance for evidence-based decisions, health information systems in many developing countries are weak, fragmented and often focused exclusively on disease-specific program areas.” (http://www.who.int/.../1HMN_Architecture_for_National_HIS...).

“Health care in Canada is delivered through a publicly funded health care system, which is mostly free at the point of use, and has most services provided by private entities. It is guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act of 1984.

The government assures the quality of care through federal standards. The government does not participate in day-to-day care - or collect any information about an individual's health, which remains confidential between a person and his or her physician.

Canada's provincially based “Medicare systems are cost-effective - partly because of their administrative simplicity. In each province each doctor handles the insurance claim against the provincial insurer. There is no need for the person who accesses health care to be involved in billing and reclaim. Private insurance is only a minimal part of the overall health care system.” (Wikepedia)

Hippocrates, the Greek Father of Medicine once said, “A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses.”

Health care is not a new phenomenon. Imhotep the Father of Medicine, was not just an imaginative architect; he was also a doctor and philosopher of the human body and mind and he contributed to medicine in a number of ways:

• “Imhotep's concepts included specializations in many methods of medicine, compared to today's physicians who primarily master one area of expertise. He introduced a blend of new methods including astronomy, philosophy, religion and protective amulets to achieve new breakthroughs.

He was a pioneer in helping to develop tracheotomy to resolve respiratory obstructions, cauterization to circumvent excessive bleeding while operating, and blood drainage to cure diseased collections.

• Imhotep diagnosed and treated hundreds of diseases including diseases of the abdomen, the bladder, the rectum, the eyes, and many of the skin, hair, nails and tongue. He treated tuberculosis, gallstones, appendicitis, gout and arthritis.

• A very significant resource of today's modern medical practices is irrespective of Imhotep's medical school; medical tools such as forceps, scissors and surgical blades were all imitative of ancient Egyptian medical apparatus. And certain remedies for elementary disorders that were introduced from ancient Egypt medicine are still practiced today; castor oil for laxatives, honey as an antimicrobial and Acacia as a cough remedy all are in retrospect of Imhotep's teachings and forward-thinking medical protocols.”

Imhotep’s most famous quote was "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we shall die." Of course this is quite ambiguous today as we know diabetes, and hypertension is affecting the global health system like it is nobody’s business, and the general population of our global family is suffering as a result of their eating and drinking habits. Redd Foxx was also sardonic when he said, “ Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.”

According to the statistics posted by the World Health Organization for 2011:

• 346 million people worldwide have diabetes.

• In 2004, an estimated 3.4 million people died from consequences of high blood sugar.

• More than 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

• WHO projects that diabetes deaths will double between 2005 and 2030.

The inexplicable global health system in regards to obesity and hypertension has impacted all governments in the world in a negative way. Obesity is a resipiscence because it is one of the biggest health problems in the world due to our lifestyle of food choices.

There is a global war on obesity and health experts are stentorophonically crying out to the world’s citizens to stop this trilemma because it is killing us and putting a great strain on the health system. Some statistics taken from the World Health Organization points out that:

• Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980.

• In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.

• 65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.

• More than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2010.

• Obesity is preventable.

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (World Health Organization, 1948).

How would ObamaCare help The Bahamas?

It is quite simple. America leads and the world follows.

It is all indication that there is a new pedagogy in the global health system. ObamaCare will ignite the consciousness of leaders to implement a comprehensive national health service in their respective countries in a bombastic way.

Take a look at Cuba for example. “The Cuban health care system is respected around the world, and is literally decades more advanced than any system found in Latin America. For this reason, the Cuban system serves as a model for Third World developing nations.” (http://library.thinkquest.org/18355/health_care_in_cuba.html)

In conclusion, we in The Bahamas have an opportunity to model our health system with the best management team in our country. National health should be run by a quasi government corporation that compliments strategical business sense in the protocol of them delivering quality health service in a circumambagious way.

“The greatest wealth is health.” (Virgil)

Source/Comment

The government is moving ahead with a National Health Insurance (NHI) plan / universal health scheme

Gibson: Gov’t Will Meet NHI 2016 Deadline

By Korvell Pyfrom
The Bahama Journal


Despite tough scrutiny from the Opposition over its ability to implement the much touted National Health Insurance (NHI) plan, Labour and National Insurance Minister Shane Gibson yesterday assured that the government is moving ahead with establishing the universal health scheme.

However, Mr. Gibson who has repeatedly been quizzed by the press about how much the government is paying a Costa Rican based firm contracted to consult the government on the plan’s implementation, was still unable to provide any figures.

“We’re not operating in a vacuum as soon as we have all the information and we are ready to release the information we will release it,” Mr. Gibson said to reporters outside of Cabinet Tuesday. “It makes no sense to me personally, to release information bits and pieces at a time.

“As soon as we are ready to release the appropriate information through the appropriate means then we will do so, but at this time we are not going to be releasing information every time the committee meets.”

The administration has announced January 2016 as the deadline for its rollout of NHI, but earlier this week Mr. Gibson announced that elements of the plan will be implemented ahead of that date.

Free National Movement (FNM) Deputy Chairman Dr. Duane Sands is among those skeptical of the plan ever coming to fruition and recently he said that the government’s track record on meeting its deadline makes it highly unlikely that NHI will ever come to reality.

But Mr. Gibson dismissed these assertions and suggested Dr. Sands is a man desperate to be elected.

“It is very difficult for me to keep responding to an always rejected man who wants to be a politician. He is at his best when he is criticising and I’m not going to endorse or authenticate what he says by responding to it,” he said.

“As soon as he is able to be elected in parliament and the people say that we want you, I will speak to him.”

The government contracted Costa Rican based Sanigest Internacional healthcare and management consultancy firm in March to provide a costing, benefits package and payment modalities report within three months.

Health Minister Dr. Perry Gomez has announced that the report is expected to be completed in early July.

May 14, 2014

Jones Bahamas

Educating Women on The Deadly Disease HIV/AIDS in The Bahamas

The HIV/AIDS transmission rate in The Bahamas is an important success story

Rapid Growth Of HIV In Females

By Candia Dames

candiadames@hotmail.com

Nassau, The Bahamas

29th November 2004

Women in The Bahamas have caught up with men in new HIV cases, prompting serious concerns for health officials.

Although the number of new HIV infections declined for a third consecutive year in 2003, the fact that more and more women are being infected with the virus that causes AIDS means that there needs to be renewed focus placed on educating women on the deadly disease, according to Nurse Rosa Mae Bain, director of the HIV/AIDS Centre.

Last year, 289 cases of HIV were reported. This compares to 332 in 2002- 385 in 2001 and 404 in 2000, according to health officials. Around the world 38 million people are infected.

In the early years of the epidemic, men far outnumbered women in new cases.

But that has changed.

The ratio of males to females is now 1:1. The disturbing trend is a global one, according to health officials.

So it is no coincidence that women and girls are the focus of this year’s World Aids Day on December 1.

“We as women have caught up with and in some countries have even past the men,” she said.  “Consequently, we need to focus in on women being able to negotiate safer sex practices.  That is crucial.  We need not to be getting infected.”

She said, “Women, because they account for all these single homes are the people out there providing that nurturing to the bulk of our children.  So the message that we want to give is ‘look, you men support our women.  Provide them with the support so that they can use preventative methods so that they do not become HIV infected’.”

Nurse Bain said women are particularly vulnerable because they tend to allow their partners to take the lead in safe sex practices.

Around the world this week, it will be a time of remembrance for the millions of people who have died from AIDS.  It will also be a time to focus on the 14 million children who have been orphaned by the disease.

Nurse Bain said AIDS orphans are also a serious concern in The Bahamas, but she said new drugs are making it possible for people to live longer, which means that the numbers of orphans are getting smaller.

Because of antiretroviral medications, she said, there are also fewer and fewer babies who are becoming infected with HIV from their mothers.

The percentage is now down to 3 percent, according to Nurse Bain.

“If we look at the statistics closely we would find that not one mother who attended the clinic, who took her medication, who kept all her appointments had a baby born HIV positive,” she said.  “That three percent was because we had a cohort of pregnant persons who did not attend so consequently they did not receive the medication and their baby was born positive and that’s why we’re still at three percent.”

She said the reduction in the transmission rate in The Bahamas is an important success story.

Another success, she said, is that the children who were born with the virus are living to see their teen years.

“Yesteryear, most of our children died before their first birthday, but with the use of anti-retrovirals or the use of AIDS medication as we call it- these children now look good, they feel good, they’re in school and we need to go to another level and provide them with a home setting.” 

The Bahamas is The Only Country in The Region that is Witnessing A Downward Trend in New HIV Cases

Anti-AIDS Education Programme Yields Positive Results Throughout The Bahamas

New HIV Cases Decline 

By Candia Dames

candiadames@hotmail.com

Nassau, The Bahamas

15th November-2004

The number of new HIV cases reported in 2003 declined for the third consecutive year, but health officials say there are still serious concerns regarding the spread of the deadly virus in the country.

Last year, 289 cases were reported.  This compares to 332 in 2002; 385 in 2001 and 404 in 2000, according to newly released numbers from the Infectious Disease Division of the Princess Margaret Hospital and the Department of Public Health.

The most recent figure is also the lowest number of cases reported in a given year since officials reported 710 cases in the period 1986-1988.

Director of the HIV/AIDS centre Nurse Rosa Mae Bain reported that The Bahamas is the only country in the region that is witnessing a downward trend in new HIV cases.

She believes this positive trend has resulted from a consistent anti-AIDS education programme throughout The Bahamas.

“We’re marketing the condom use because it’s crucial that everybody who has sex with somebody knows the status of their partner,” Nurse Bain said.  “If they don’t know, then they need to protect themselves with the condom.”

Her department is also getting set to launch a marketing campaign promoting the use of the female condom.

“They’ve been available for a while, but we’ve not really pushed it,” she said.

Officials of the National AIDS programme have also expanded their outreach in schools, working with grade six students encouraging them to delay the initiation of sexual activity.

“What we are also doing is training them if they are sexually active to protect themselves, that is crucial.  They need to know about the availability of condoms, how to store them; how to use them; how to put them on and how to take them off,” Nurse Bain said.

The new numbers also show that the sexually active age group 15 – 44, continues to be the main group of people infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

AIDS is the leading cause of death in the age group 15 – 29.

The National AIDS programme has monitored the epidemic since 1983.  As of December 31, 2003, there was a cumulative total of 9,725 total HIV infections, 4,758 cases of AIDS and 4,697 persons who are non-AIDS HIV positive.

Of the total 4,758 cases of AIDS, 3,309 have died.  Of the total 9,725 infections, 6,920 occur in young adults between the age group of 15 – 44.  The ratio of males to females infected with HIV is now 1:1.

Nurse Bain said there is still a serious concern as it relates to older men passing the virus on to young girls.

It’s a dilemma authorities continue to tackle.  They say because of the high numbers of single mother homes, many girls are often easily enticed by material possessions and are therefore more inclined to have sex with men who can provide these things.

“We’re very well aware that approximately 70 percent of our babies are born to single parents,” Nurse Bain said.  “Because of that, within the home-setting, there is not the male figure…we want to send a message out there, ‘Older men, please leave our young girls alone.’”

There is another practice of grave concern.

Nurse Bain said there are many girls who are engaged in rectal sex as protection from getting pregnant.  They also see it as a way of having sex and remaining virgins.  But she said there is serious danger in this practice.

“Once the lining of the rectum is torn and somebody has HIV, [men] can pass that on very, very quickly to our young girls,” she said.  “This is a concern for both male and females.  Next to blood transfusion, rectal sex is the easiest way to get HIV infected.”

The first clinical case of AIDS was reported in1983 and confirmed on post mortem in 1985.  The first confirmed case of AIDS was reported in The Bahamas in August 1985 when antibody elisa testing became available, according to the Bahamas National HIV/AIDS Programme.

The Bahamas has the highest annual incidence rate of AIDS in the English speaking Caribbean, and is among the three nations with the highest incidence rates in the world.