User fees alone will not finance health sector – Dr Ferguson

                                         Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson says the re-introduction of user fees in the public health sector may not by itself generate the levels of revenue required to adequately finance the system.

“While we might need to do some things relative to what you call revenue streams, the answer cannot be just a total bringing back to the fore of a user fee system,” he said.

Citing the University Hospital of the West Indies as one of the facilities where fees are still applied, the Minister said the hospital still face significant challenges. “Therefore it cannot be user fees by itself that is the solution to a sustainable health sector,” he said.

The Health Minister was addressing stakeholders at the 9th national consultation on financing Jamaica’s public health system at the Medallion Hall Hotel in Kingston on Wednesday (April 30).

“When you have user fees and you have a policy that says no one should be denied services on the basis of inability to pay, then immediately you have a contradiction, and therefore when you have a user fee system but 25 per cent or less pay, you are getting a battering from the most vulnerable who would say you are denying them services,” he said.    

He informed that the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) spoke to user fees being a “punishment to the poor”, adding that “if you go to the World Health Assembly and PAHO fora and assemblies, the big thrust is towards universal health coverage, that is where the world is heading now.”

“There is nothing wrong if we were to set up in the hospitals to charge for those specialised services that are not normally offered in the public sector, but that which we can do to become a revenue stream,” Dr Ferguson said.

He added that in hospitals where the space is available, private wings could be established as a revenue stream.

Dr Ferguson said that since the consultations commenced, several significant points for financing the sector were proposed by participants.

Several of these, include the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) contributing financing, especially to offset medical costs incurred in resort areas; as well as implementation of special health insurance coverage in this regard.

He said participants also suggested motor vehicle accident insurance and maximizing collection from private health insurance among others, as potential options.

Dr Ferguson told the stakeholders that the ongoing national consultations on financing Jamaica’s public health system will yield tangible solutions, redounding to the country’s benefit.

“I am asking you, today, to use your expertise and experience to assist us to come up with ways in which we can move forward towards the goal of universal access to quality health services for the people of Jamaica,” he said.

PRAVEEN SHARMA
PGDM 2ND SEM