Health Systems Warning Issued for OECS

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Health News

Friday, 12 October 2012 02:30

By Carol Williams

Antigua St. John's - An administrator at the OECS Secretariat has told a meeting in Antigua that health care systems in some member states are becoming unsustainable.

Bentley Browne, Director of the OECS Secretariat's Social and Sustainable Development Division, said this is in line with the prediction of the renowned firm IBM (International Business Machines) that this problem could affect many of the world's existing healthcare systems in 5 -10 years.

"This trend is emerging in several of our members states..." Browne revealed, though he did not name the affected countries.

He was addressing the opening ceremony of the 15th OECS Health Ministers Meeting and the meeting of the board of the OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Service (OECS PPS) held Wednesday evening.

The director pointed out that less than half of the population in member states have medical insurance for themselves and their dependents, leaving governments to heavily subsidize public health services.

"The OCES member states should therefore move to develop a road map and conduct the requisite research and development activities in collaboration with UWI, or regional health institutions and relevant partners, harmonise legislation in this area, and create administrative structures to establish dedicated revenue streams for the health sector," Browne advised.

Incoming Chairman of the PPS, Antigua & Barbuda's Minister of Health Willmoth Daniel, said health care should be discussed as an area of priority at meetings of the Caricom Heads of Governments.

He urged this country's Prime Minister, who was present, to make a case with his colleague heads for this to be done.

Daniel warned that interventions, specifically health education and health promotion, are needed to help address the challenges facing the nine member states.

"We must educate our people to be more responsible in their sexual behaviours, to take charge of their health by eating healthy -- by eating more from the land and less from the can," he said.

"With the rise in NCD's (Non Communicable Diseases), the time has come for all to provide universal coverage for chronic diseases such as cardiac disease and cancer that can be a severe economic burden to patients and their families."

Minister Daniel replaces Montserrat's Minister of Health Colin Riley as Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Procurement Service.

As he ended his one year term, Minister Riley said he is concerned about the decline in payments to creditors by some countries.

All must be done to protect the collective buying power that the PPS provides, he said.

"I urge my fellow ministers of health to work with their ministers of finance and their respective cabinets to bring all payments in line with the binding 60-day contract," Minister Riley said.

"I believe that in all economic management, there must always be an argument that some things are too important to fail. Our supply of affordable medical supplies must be at the top of that ‘too important to fail’ safe list."



Tardy payments are an age-old issue affecting the OECS/PPS, established in 1986 as the procurement agency for member countries.

Officials say the work of the agency has resulted in annual savings of around $4 million.

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