Healthcare Costs to be Tabulated

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Health News

Tuesday, 04 December 2012 02:30

By Carol Williams

Antigua, St. John's - A move is underway to put a figure to the cost of healthcare in Antigua & Barbuda, a first for the country.

The initiative is being enabled by a programme handed over to the Ministry of Health several weeks ago by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The lack of such information has long been an area of concern, according to Colin O’Keiffe, a statistician in the Health Information Division.

He explained that while budgets are regularly done for line items, this programme will now allow authorities to better plan for any eventualities. "It means that we would be able to better forecast if there's some particular matter threatening Antigua & Barbuda. We can forecast how much that will cost us, based on how long we think it will take," he said.

O’Keiffe added: "From our clinics and any sort of healthcare provided we will be able to cost it by using this particular programme. The methodology lends itself to being modified and refined, so it means we will get closer to the actual cost of providing health care from department to department in the Ministry of Health."

The programme, to be introduced shortly, is expected to be updated as additional information comes to hand.

O'Keiffe said some exercises have already been carried out, and further training has been planned.

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