McKenzie says gov’t lacks political will to fix health sector
KINGSTON Mayor Desmond McKenzie has questioned the political will of the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) to improve the ailing health sector, stating that it was by now obvious that the priority of the administration was to win a fifth term in office at the expense of the social services.
According to the mayor, who was speaking Sunday at the Annual General Meeting of the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (MDA), it was clearly a case of misplaced priorities.
“They tell us they don’t have the money to allocate to the health sector but at the same time they will find US$43 million, nearly J$3 billion, to repay the losses at Sandals Whitehouse,” McKenzie argued in defence of his point.
“We cannot continue to hide our heads in the sand when these acts of corruption occur and fail to see the link between the misuse of public funds and the fact that the health sector, for example, is being starved of much-needed resources,” he stated further.
According to the mayor, the sum would have gone a far way to fixing the health sector, which he said was an imperative, given the high levels of crime, motor vehicle accidents and chronic diseases.
Added McKenzie, “We know the health service can be improved, the problem is, does the government have the will to see to the necessary improvements?”
Referring to the disclosure by Health Minister Horace Dalley recently that some $1.6 billion had been collected in fees, McKenzie said it was obvious that the Jamaican public was showing a willingness to pay. In fact, he said, this figure represented a 33 per cent increase when compared to the previous fiscal year when $1.2 billion was collected.
However, he questioned the value being received for the fees charged, pointing to the recent allegations of some hospitals being overrun by rats and roaches, and the malfunctioning or lack of basic equipment.
“How can any government feel good about collecting $1.6 billion in hospital fees from its citizens and turn around and provide them with a health service like this?” the mayor asked.
McKenzie said that public professionals, including medical doctors, should decide how long they would continue to take the blame for the failures of government.
“If you can’t reveal it on the job because of government secrecy policies, then you have to do it through your professional bodies,” the mayor urged.
Turning to the recent spate of wage disputes between the government and public-sector workers – which he said had taken far too long to settle – McKenzie said there should be a rule against public-sector wage negotiations during an election year.
According to the mayor, the reason for this was a political one.
“There will always be a temptation on the part of the workers to hold the government to ransom on realising that an election is in the offing. And, on the other hand, there is always the temptation for the government to ‘run wid it’ in the period leading up to an election,” the mayor charged, adding that wage negotiations for government employees should not last over a year.
In the meantime, he appealed to the government to see to the restoration of the Ministry of the Public Service. According to McKenzie, a full-time minister as well as staff, who would be responsible for the development of human resources in the public sector should also be put in place.
The mayor also called for the creation of a special category of skilled professionals including health personnel, teachers, the police and the fire brigade, which he said should be exempted from the regular biennial wage negotiations, including negotiations under the Public Sector Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
– dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com