UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE STILL A PRIORITY FOR GOVERNMENT

Описание: Health and Wellness Minister Senator Mary Isaac says Saint Lucia is taking steps toward implementing Universal Health Care (UHC).
Senator Isaac recently participated in the 72nd annual Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on 19 May 2019 with 53 countries discussing the acceleration of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
St. Lucia was one of six OECS territories who participated.
The other participating OECS countries included Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis and Grenada.
The theme of the meeting, “Universal Health Coverage: Reaching the unreached, ensuring no one is left behind”, emphasized the importance of UHC as a means of securing a more viable future for Commonwealth citizens.

Senator Mary Isaac says her government is making headway in providing healthcare for all including people with disabilities, as well as women, young people and other vulnerable groups, such as rural and hard to reach populations, who may have inadequate access to good quality health services.
She says setting up the National Health Insurance scheme is a priority for the government.
This she says should come into effect before 2030.
Another major step is to get the Owen King EU Hospital fully operational before the end of 2019.
According to the Miss Isaac, the government is doing all it can to ensure a smooth transition to the new facility.
Already a number of services are being offered at the facility including dialysis treatment, outpatient clinics and physio-therapy.
A number of issues she says are hindering the full commissioning of the hospital.
The World Health Assembly (WHA) meets annually and is the decision-making body of World Health Organization (WHO).
Its meetings are attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focus on specific health agendas, and determine the policies of the organization and its members.