THE CLAIM THAT a nation’s wealth is a nation’s health is as much a statement that is personal as it is a national concern.
The opening of the David Thompson Health and Social Services Complex on Friday last in St John should, therefore, serve as a reminder that health is but a part of the economic planning in any country, whether the country is large and industrialised economy or a small open economy such as ours is.
We mention size if only to remind readers of the struggles which the Obama administration experienced in delivering the Affordable Care Act of his country, which was aimed at ensuring that a large majority of his countrymen can be covered by some kind of insurance for what often becomes the inevitable onset of ill health.
Of course, smaller nations face even greater constraints in terms of providing national health care for its people; for not only is health care a medical matter but as we have indicated it is an economic matter with major financial implications and sometimes headaches for economic planners if the governments hope to provide medical services for their country while raising the relevant revenue as part of the national taxes.
It is critical therefore that a debate on health care financing be a major topic on the national economic agenda; and the intrusion of raw political concerns, though important, cannot be allowed to frustrate serious and important planning for the future health care needs of this country with its lone general hospital supported by an array of polyclinics, of which the Thompson Health Services Complex is the latest addition.
Unsurprisingly, health care reform was high on the list of topics mentioned by Prime Minister Stuart in his feature address at the opening ceremony.
He reminded the audience that our country was ahead of the world in our national health care coverage because we recognised at an early moment that health is part of the country’s socio-economic framework.
Equally important now is planning for an innovative and cost-effective method of health care, given new economic circumstances about the financing costs of national health care. There is also the question of the demographic profile of our country and the impact that such a profile will have on our national finances; for with a higher percentage of our people living to a very ripe old age and with the co-lateral decreasing birth rate, the problem of too many at the top being carried by too few at the bottom provides for an inverted pyramid of unsure financial foundations. If left to itself, it is likely to topple over with disastrous consequences.
The issue of health care reform is therefore something of a hydra-headed scenario.
As the Prime Minister rightly said, Government, communities and the private sector are all affected by the high cost of premature death, disability, treatment and generally caring for those living with non-communicable diseases, and all this has a serious impact on national productivity.
We anticipate the publication of the promised White Paper and look forward to vigorous rational public debate on this vital aspect of our national affairs which touches every one of us almost from cradle to the grave.
