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Poor benefiting more from free health care - CaPRI survey
Published: Monday | June 10, 2013 0 Comments
Patients await assistance at the Hagley Park Health Centre in St Andrew. - FILE
The poorest of Jamaicans are making greater use of public hospitals and the free healthcare they offer, a survey carried out by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) has revealed.Conducting a review of the no-user-fee policy which was introduced in public hospitals five years ago, CaPRI has presented scientific evidence of the use of the system.
Covering all 14 parishes, between April 15 and May 20, the think tank investigated the effect of the no-user-fee policy on health services in Jamaica and explored the scope for returning to a fee-paying system in the future.
The study revealed that 62.9 per cent of those who used the public facilities were persons in the lower income group, compared to the 6.6 per cent of the higher income earners who admitted to using public hospitals.
The poorer class made up a great percentage of the 76.3 per cent without health insurance who took advantage of free health care, compared to the 23.7 per cent of those with insurance who used it.
Interestingly, the study also revealed that the elderly, 65 and over, used public hospitals the least (6.6 per cent). In fact, adults between the ages of 25 and 64 made greater use of the facilities (77.5 per cent).
There were more female patients (54 per cent) than males (46 per cent).
More educated use system
The level of education was also a factor in the study, with 58.5 per cent of those with a secondary education claiming to use public hospitals. Those with no formal education only made up 1.9 per cent.
Of those surveyed, the majority (59 per cent) said they only visited the hospital when it was necessary.
As part of its commitment to universal access to health care, in 2008 the Bruce Golding administration removed user fees for services at public hospitals, except the University Hospital of the West Indies. This was a significant departure from a user-fee policy reintroduced in 1984.
Last Friday, the Government hosted the first of four public consultations in Manchester on the no-user-fee policy. Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson is promoting the consultations as part of the administration's efforts to review the system. It will allow members of the public to put forward ideas and possible solutions for financing health care in Jamaica.
Following today's session in Kingston, the consultations continue in St Ann on Wednesday and St James on June 23.
The health ministry has already had separate consultations with Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr Ken Baugh, health groups and associations, as well as the management and staff of the ministry and regional health authorities.
The CaPRI study was carried out with the aid of grants from the International Development Research Centre in Ottawa, Canada, The Gleaner Company Limited, and the National Health Fund.
anastasia.cunningham@gleanerjm.com
Published: Monday | June 10, 2013 0 Comments
Patients await assistance at the Hagley Park Health Centre in St Andrew. - FILE
The poorest of Jamaicans are making greater use of public hospitals and the free healthcare they offer, a survey carried out by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) has revealed.Conducting a review of the no-user-fee policy which was introduced in public hospitals five years ago, CaPRI has presented scientific evidence of the use of the system.
Covering all 14 parishes, between April 15 and May 20, the think tank investigated the effect of the no-user-fee policy on health services in Jamaica and explored the scope for returning to a fee-paying system in the future.
The study revealed that 62.9 per cent of those who used the public facilities were persons in the lower income group, compared to the 6.6 per cent of the higher income earners who admitted to using public hospitals.
The poorer class made up a great percentage of the 76.3 per cent without health insurance who took advantage of free health care, compared to the 23.7 per cent of those with insurance who used it.
Interestingly, the study also revealed that the elderly, 65 and over, used public hospitals the least (6.6 per cent). In fact, adults between the ages of 25 and 64 made greater use of the facilities (77.5 per cent).
There were more female patients (54 per cent) than males (46 per cent).
More educated use system
The level of education was also a factor in the study, with 58.5 per cent of those with a secondary education claiming to use public hospitals. Those with no formal education only made up 1.9 per cent.
Of those surveyed, the majority (59 per cent) said they only visited the hospital when it was necessary.
As part of its commitment to universal access to health care, in 2008 the Bruce Golding administration removed user fees for services at public hospitals, except the University Hospital of the West Indies. This was a significant departure from a user-fee policy reintroduced in 1984.
Last Friday, the Government hosted the first of four public consultations in Manchester on the no-user-fee policy. Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson is promoting the consultations as part of the administration's efforts to review the system. It will allow members of the public to put forward ideas and possible solutions for financing health care in Jamaica.
Following today's session in Kingston, the consultations continue in St Ann on Wednesday and St James on June 23.
The health ministry has already had separate consultations with Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr Ken Baugh, health groups and associations, as well as the management and staff of the ministry and regional health authorities.
The CaPRI study was carried out with the aid of grants from the International Development Research Centre in Ottawa, Canada, The Gleaner Company Limited, and the National Health Fund.
anastasia.cunningham@gleanerjm.com
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