The slogan “Universal Health: Everyone, Everywhere” is the theme for World Health Day on Saturday 7th April. The campaign calls on representatives of governments, academia and civil society to stimulate dialogue on policies that can help achieve health for all by 2030. In the Americas, three in ten people do not have access to health care for financial reasons, and two out of ten do not seek medical attention due to geographical barriers they face.

On Wednesday April 4th the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will host a conference on universal health in the Americas starting 11:30 am (EDT), in Washington, DC. It will be streamed live at: www.livestream.com/pahotv/WHD2018

We are very blessed here in the Cayman Islands with some, if not the very best, health care in the Caribbean.

With the Cayman Islands Government Health Care Hospitals and the two private hospitals, one – Health City Cayman, boasting pioneering operations, and numerous private clinics, we have already achieved “health for all” here.

Although the ‘Universal’ in UHC means “for all”, without discrimination, leaving no one behind, the World Health Organization (WHO) on their website: http://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/2018/key-messages/en/, has made it clear what UHC is and what UHC is not.

What UHC is

UHC means that all people and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship.
UHC enables everyone to access the services that address the most important causes of disease and death and ensures that the quality of those services is good enough to improve the health of the people who receive them.

What UHC is not

UHC does not mean free coverage for all possible health interventions, regardless of the cost, as no country can provide all services free of charge on a sustainable basis.
UHC is not only about ensuring a minimum package of health services, but also about ensuring a progressive expansion of coverage of health services and financial protection as more resources become available.
UHC is not only about medical treatment for individuals, but also includes services for whole populations such as public health campaigns – for example adding fluoride to water or controlling the breeding grounds of mosquitoes that carry viruses that can cause disease.
UHC is not just about health care and financing the health system of a country. It encompasses all components of the health system: systems and healthcare providers that deliver health services to people, health facilities and communications networks, health technologies, information systems, quality assurance mechanisms and governance and legislation.

And this is where the healthcare does fall down in this country. The government Cayman Islands hospital is suffering with millions of bad debt because of mismanagement, inadequate coverage by the government’s CINICO, deductibles and the refusal of insurance companies to cover some patients. This especially applies to the elderly and those with recurring health issues. If you are poor then you have to fall on your knees with your begging bowl out and hope government will provide the necessary funds to pay for your health woes.

The British National Health Service comes under a lot of criticism but is100% better than anything we have here and in the USA.

The deplorable way the Cayman Islands private health insurance companies have been allowed to drive up the health care costs and also some private doctors, dentist, etc. have taken advantage of the situation with their increased rates if you have insurance, is due to little government overseeing.

Talk is cheap and for years there has been much talk. Action?

Like at the George Town Hospital Clinic and the CINICO office – A LONG WAIT.

Will that wait ever end? According to the WHO’s ‘Universal Health: Everyone, Everywhere’ the wait will end in 2030………..?