There is perhaps no other area of Government activity that can potentially clash with the pursuit of profit in Barbados than healthcare. 

That is the assertion from Democratic Labour Party (DLP) spokesperson on health and Member of Parliament for St. Michael South Central, Richard Sealy, as he spoke to a Christ Church South branch meeting yesterday evening at the St. Lawrence Composite School. 

Sealy contended that the demand for the state to see after the well being and health of its populace is now more important than ever to the future of this country. Moreover, he is asking for the powers that be to explain what role the Ministry of Health is playing with respect to the new private hospital that is being established. 

"It is only obvious why we should be concerned. If it is a private sector, profit driven hospital, what do you think the nurses and other health professionals will do when the opportunity is presented to them to make a few extra dollars, without even having to leave Barbados?" he queried. With this in mind, the St. Michael South Central MP maintained that what Barbados does not need is a two-tiered healthcare system between the have and the have-nots. 

"I think that we have seen the intense commercialism in health care go a little too far. The cost of healthcare keeps rising as we find ourselves confronted by new challenges," he added. 

Moreover, Sealy lamented, that the reality we face is that the gap due to the fall off of the public sector in its capacity to satisfy health care, has been filled by the private sector with very exorbitant prices. 

"There is no reason why Government healthcare should be asked to yield in the interest of any profiteer, the role of the state should be hallowed territory. I have nothing against medical professionals making money in the sector, but it must be understood that there must be a strong role by Government to ensure that no one is disadvantaged," he maintained. 

Moreover, the DLP spokesperson said that given the growing elderly population in Barbados, there is a need for the district hospital network to be revamped, develop them into centres of the elderly and not just glorified alms houses. 

He further argued that with so much of our population in the realm of the elderly, not enough debate and transparency has been brought to such programmes as the Alternative Care of the Elderly Programme, where private nursing homes are getting state funds for a job the state should be undertaking. 
He argued that these private companies should not be undertaking this job when there are facilities such as the St. Joseph Hospital, which he noted is still sitting idle and the St. Lucy District Hospital which is under utilised, not being used to their fullest potential.