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For the past twenty-five years, the National Health Insurance (NHI) programme has played a role in Belize’s healthcare system, helping patients access medical services across the country. But while NHI has been around for decades, there are still questions about how the programme works and what services it covers. As the programme celebrates its silver anniversary, General Manager, National Health Insurance, Dr. Ramon Figueroa shared part of the ongoing conversation is clearing up some of the misunderstandings surrounding NHI.
Dr.Ramon Figueroa, General Manager, NNI: “What we have heard is that NHI is just giving out money to private providers and that’s far from the truth. We have contracts, we go through a very tedious tender process and the selection process. The decisions on who gets contract is not on one individual, it’s a committee and we have very specific criteria in the selection process. So that perception that we’re giving away money just like that is false. Today is specifically addressing the information on NHI, sharing some interesting data on the incorporation of AI possibly in helping us manage the health insurance scheme. So sharing information today and the next couple, tomorrow, I also do a presentation as part of the Congress itself which is looking at NHI and its contribution to universal health care.”
Over the years, NHI has expanded its services, working with healthcare providers to improve access to care and support patients in communities across Belize. Minister of Health and Wellness Kevin Bernard says the anniversary is a chance to recognise the progress made, while also looking at where improvements are still needed, making mention to the need for new hospitals and further future improvements to the national health system.
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness: “We are celebrating and commemorating today the 25th anniversary of the existence of the National Health Insurance Program one that was a visionary policy from the then Said Musa government and which has now continued and has been highlighted in today’s various speeches, including the DPM, that as part of our National Health Insurance is about providing access to healthcare, achieving universal health coverage through primary care delivery. And so, you know, my presence here is to basically participate and to be here in support of this very great initiative. We have been toying with the idea that we should be looking at the construction of a new secondary care facility for the Belize District because as you know, KHMH right now is the only facility that is providing secondary care for government, apart from our clinics Cleopatra and Matron Roberts who does primary care services. So KHMH is burdened with the volume of patients who come for secondary and tertiary care and including some primary care services. So we have to look at the KHMH, we have to look at how we can repurpose, but at the same time building a new hospital will take some time but we have to have the long-term vision, and I think one of that vision is for us to see a construction of a new hospital that will be able to provide secondary care, removing the burden from the Carl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority and then have them focus solely on tertiary care, and then maybe what can be done is that investments that need to go into KHMH will then be able to enhance and better more tertiary care services and more support services that can come to that hospital.”
As NHI reaches twenty-five years, officials say the focus remains on improving healthcare access and ensuring that patients receive the support they need./
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