As the debate over health care and education entitlements intensifies, Government has been given its clearest indication yet that Barbadians are more willing to pay for a University of the West Indies (UWI) education than for care at the state-run Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).
In fact, free public health care remains a sort of holy grail, according to the findings of the latest CADRES survey, which polled the views of the public on several burning issues.
The majority of those surveyed (77 per cent) felt that health care, be it at the QEH or another Government-run institution, should remain free and taxpayer funded. This compared to 21 per cent who said the time had come for Barbadians to pay a portion of the costs.
Respondents (45 per cent) also supported the decision announced by Minister of Health Donville Inniss earlier this year for the construction of a new hospital to replace the 47-year-old QEH on Martindale’s Road, St Michael. However, these people were not in favour of the proposed Kingsland, Christ Church location.
