The National Health Card initiative is a much needed concept. How many times do we go to the health centres and forget our paper card/record at home or lose it? I can tell you how many times even the health centres cannot find my records when I lose mine.
Therefore the electronic cards are most welcome and will be extremely convenient to all. Think of it like a flashdrive where you may easily carry scanned copies of your national documents in your pocket or purse and can pull out at ease when needed without having to walk with cumbersome files.
I note that some NGOs have taken issue with the policy excluding the treatment of non-nationals in our country but they fail to realise that the reason there is so much issues with the demand and supply of drugs locally are the very non-nationals they seem keen on representing! Do you think that we can go to the USA and traipse into their hospitals and get treatment so easily save and except in life threatening situations? Our healthcare system is already burdened as is, to ask that we also treat every Tom, Dick and Harry around the world is harebrained! I think it has been made clear that our health system are for citizens by birth, citizens who are legally documented and provisions are made for those Caricom nationals who may be working here temporarily. As far as HIV/AIDS treatment or any treatment goes I do not see any issue arising out of this policy which will adversely affect citizens and persons in this country illegally.
Allan Hewitt
via email