The Editor, Sir:

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) will soon celebrate its second anniversary as the party of the Government of Jamaica. During this period, it has been faced with numerous challenges in the field of finance, education, health, labour-related matters, security, and the public services.

A significant challenge to date, however, has been the negative responses it attracts from the Jamaican people and organisations alike whenever it ventures on a path to move Jamaica forward.

The party, during its election campaign, promised aspects of free health care in public institutions to all Jamaicans and free tuition to primary and secondary students. It is my opinion that the Government delivered on its promise. However its efforts have been severely curtailed by the global economic crisis in which it finds itself at the moment. No one can deny that with the fallout of revenue from bauxite/alumina and tourism, it will definitely be unable to continue to hold good these commitments.

The Government should now take immediate steps to reassess the situation and scrap the free health programme in its current form.

Not only is it difficult to implement, but it is failing to achieve optimum benefits as predicted. The net result is that persons visit these facilities only because it is free and not because of their inability to pay, thereby overloading the system and preventing those in need from getting much, needed treatment. Under this system, millions of productive employee hours are lost, and demand will always outstrip the ability to respond satisfactorily.

The Government must revise the programme immediately and implement a scheme whereby those who can pay should pay, and use taxpayers' money to assist those who genuinely need help.

Various employers have in the past provided health-care assistance to their employees. Self-employed business people have managed on their own or through health-insurance schemes. These persons should be encouraged to continue to pay for their health services.

The Government should, therefore, turn its attention to providing health care for persons on the poverty line, the unemployed, all pensioners, all persons 65 years and over, and those persons suffering with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and any other life threatening illnesses. A national health-assistance programme should be developed immediately to embrace the categories of persons aforementioned.

I am, etc.,

LLOYD A MYRIE

gemlam@cwjamaica.com

PORUS P.O.

This man was one of a number of persons waiting in the out-patient area at the Kingston Public Hospital in downtown Kingston for treatment on April 1, 2008, the first day of the abolition of user fees at the nation's public-health facilities. - file