Officials from Saint Lucia’s health sector, both public and private, attended a presentation on health financing earlier this week, hosted by the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs.

The presentation was facilitated by neurologist, Dr. Kester Nedd, CEO of a group of companies focused on healthcare administration and care management; and was hosted as an activity leading to the implementation of Universal Health Care in Saint Lucia.

Dr. Nedd made his presentation on the topic of healthcare financing. He is also involved in health systems, policy and information technology within the sector, and heads a consortium of companies charged with the task of reviewing National Health Insurance within the region.

According to Dr. Nedd, facilitator of Tuesday’s health presentation, no single Caribbean country should attempt to achieve national health insurance in the region through unilateral measures.

“We developed a model of financing healthcare for the region that we think is unique,” he said. “We did this with work we did in Grenada and work we did in some of the other Caribbean islands who already have National Health Insurance and we came up with a system that we borrowed from various islands and other parts of the world.”

Dr. Nedd explained that the suggested model would not only support the population’s health needs, but also strengthen already existing insurance policies. The model is currently in operation both within and out of the region.

“The system comes with technology and expertise that you may not have on the ground, and it offers training opportunities for young people.” He added that a collaborative effort among islands will ensure cheaper rates during the implementation phases.

According to a World Bank article “Universal Health Care provides countries a way forward to address unmet needs and health inequities.” Hence, the World Bank has “embraced UHC as part of its mission to eliminate absolute poverty by 2030 and to boost shared prosperity.”

Minister for Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, Hon. Moses Jn. Baptiste, said: “We have decided to implement Universal Health Care in phases and we are working feverishly toward the beginning of this implementation process. We have appointed a Director of Universal Health Care within the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, and we are working with doctors and other professionals to begin the process.”

The health minister said an announcement will soon be made regarding the implementation of UHC. He added that Dr. Nedd’s presentation was an eye opener and that he looks forward to engaging with other industry professionals as the Ministry of Health works toward the unveiling.