Caribbean Pushes for Regional Health Care Scheme

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States is mulling over healthcare reform and the governments of the bloc are considering a regional health care insurance scheme.

Saint Lucia's representative to the OECS and the Caribbean Community says no one country is able to tackle current health challenges on its own and this proposed initiative could improve people's access to better health services and medication.

"Right now, throughout the region, we are facing a lot of non-communicable diseases that are very expensive if you want to maintain a good standard of living. We have the numbers in the region to have a scheme that is very viable and would benefit the people," said June Soomer.

OECS residents are embracing the proposal, saying a collaborative approach to healthcare financing could bring affordable health services to the people of the Eastern Caribbean.

Economist Thomas Samuel says this is the best approach to resolve the common challenges posed by non-infectious diseases to citizens of the OECS.

“I think there's scope for working together, pooling resources. Already we have an arrangement where we pool our procurement with the OECS Pharmaceutical Service, where we buy medicines together. So I think we can look at that and go a little further,” he said.

“Pooling and sharing are always useful in terms of benefits and reducing costs. The average costs will fall. Insurance (companies) do it all the time, in terms of making insurance services coverage more affordable to people because they are able to serve a larger base of participants in any program. I think that can be extended to healthcare in the region," he said.

Health officials in the OECS have long lamented the issues of financing and availability of standard healthcare for all. Other citizens are hoping that such an initiative would result in universal access to quality health services.

“Everybody wants to be able to see a doctor when they are sick,” says Davidson Jn Baptiste. “You want to know that no matter what treatment or medication you need, that you do not go without it because you cannot afford to pay.”

The governments of the OECS already work together on some aspects of healthcare and are hoping that collaboration on a regional health insurance scheme will result in greater access to care for the millions of people who call the OECS home.