President of the Barbados Dental Association Dr Vidya Armogan is again urging Government to eliminate duties and value added tax (VAT) on imported dental equipment and supplies.
This, he said, would keep health care affordable and ensure Barbadians have access to modern, high-quality care.
“With health care costs rising globally, reducing importrelated expenses is one of the most effective ways to maintain affordability and improve outcomes,” Armogan told the DAILY NATION.
He said that if dentists continued paying duties and VAT on the tools required to deliver care, those costs would inevitably be passed on to patients.
“There’s no getting around it,” he stressed.
The president also pointed to the “paradox” that while medical and dental professionals were prohibited from charging VAT on services, they must still pay it on equipment and supplies which further drives up costs.
Armogan noted that despite these challenges, the level of care provided in Barbados is on par with major international cities such as Manhattan, Toronto and London.
“Our services are often a fraction of the cost seen overseas, but our input costs are disproportionately high and the system is becoming increasingly unsustainable,” he said.
The orthodontist acknowledged that the digital era has created unrealistic expectations about cost, referencing luxury brands manufacturing products in lowercost regions.
“In health care, however, you get what you pay for. Highlytrained doctors, the latest technology, well-trained staff and properly maintained equipment all come at a price. The fact that we’ve been managing on thinner margins than our international peers does not mean we can do so forever.”
He added that Barbadian dental students often face tuition rates significantly higher than their North American or United Kingdom counterparts due to international fees.
“Establishing a practice can cost between BDS$400 000 and $1 million, and financing options through local banks remain limited compared to what’s available overseas,” he said.
Added to that, Armogan said, is the additional cost of high-tech machines requiring international technicians for installation and training which further
inflate operational expenses.
“Outdated or inaccessible equipment – not training – is what limits us. Caribbean professionals are more than capable, but the cost of acquiring and maintaining modern tools is often simply out of reach.”
Referencing a “popular dental scanner” that costs an American practitioner around US$180 000 (BDS$360 000), he said it would cost a Barbadian provider over BDS$500 000 after taxes, shipping and set-up fees are included.
“This gap directly affects the standard of care we can provide. If Barbados is serious about developing a medical and dental tourism sector, we must be able to meet the expectations of international patients. They will not travel here if we can’t offer the same quality of service they receive at home,” he said.
Pointing out that 90 per cent of Barbados’ dental and medical professionals are trained at the same institutions as their peers overseas, he said that though they are equally qualified, they are not equally equipped.
He called on policymakers to prioritise long-term thinking and economic diversification through the support of high-value niche sectors like medical/dental tourism.
“Barbados is increasingly perceived as an expensive destination. Traditional tourism models may no longer be enough, but if we remove duties and VAT on essential medical imports, we can create an internationally competitive health care sector that benefits both locals and visitors alike.” (JB)
