Alred C. Frett. Photo: Provided

It is so disappointing when ‘learned ones’ among us, with the ability to do so much more than just Read and Write still hang on to Fables of Denial as they knowingly and willfully mislead and destroy our People… While this can be discouraging for the best of us we should never forsake bringing Truth to the Youth for this is the only way they would ever learn to appreciate themselves as somebody.

Consequently, I make no apology that this has been my Mission since the 1960’s even if some chose to reject my words simply because I am not European White or Politically for Sale but simply a Local BV-Islander… Nonetheless, Truth is a stubborn Master - Facts will remain facts and Today you can find things I speak off in a UN Report by so-called ‘Experts on People of African Descent’.

When Shorter last longer; What was then still is now:

They started their work in 2002 - 40-years after me - and it took them 14-years which is far too long but even they could not avoid the Inconvenient Truths about the Past, Present and Future of those they call Blacks or African Americans and I call Descendants of African Slaves… They too felt inclined to expressed "extreme concern about the human rights situation of African-Americans."

The Group acknowledged that Blacks had minimal access to Health Care, Education and Gainful Employment and they recognised Electoral Disenfranchisement and Judiciary Mal-Practice to the point where Politicians and Justice were for sale and because Blacks lacked the Money to play in these Games they became targeted for abuse and destined for Prisons and Graveyards.

Their expressed concerns were for the continuing legacy of Enslavement and Colonialism with the resulting Racial Subordination, Racial Segregation, Racial Terrorism and Racial Inequality and they noted how recent Police Killings of unarmed black men like Michael Brown and Eric Garner were like past Racial Lynchings where those in charge of State-sponsored violence were immune.

These are basic Truths we know but are required to pretend not to see, hear or say so the Group is dumbfounded that the Slave Trade is not acknowledged as a Crime against Humanity and there is no Truth and Reconciliation or Reparations for people of African Descent… They find it impossible to understand how, after all this time, these atrocities are still being allowed to continue.

Now, while all of this may sound familiar, I definitely do not know this United Nations Group of Experts and they certainly do not know me – What we share in common are Words of Truth; carved by experience deep in the face of time… Unfortunately, we, the Offspring of Slaves remain inclined to reject these Inconvenient Truths and choose to waste our lives shackled to Past Lies.

Nonetheless, whether we deny or admit, we are our History and it has followed us from Past to Present through Trials, Tribulations and even afflictions like Hypertension and Diabetes… Today we have an Ancestral Obligation to try and insure a better future for Generations still to come and this is not always through some Grand Affair but as simple as insuring their access to Health Care.

Be not afraid to Praise NHI whenever it is warranted:

As it stands, a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHI) has been forced on us and for better or worse it will affect our Health, our Lives and our Futures… For this reason I promised to monitor and address the ongoing operation and effects of this NHI because our Health Today could determine our Children’s Health Tomorrow – (The scare of the Zika Virus makes this easier to understand).

Meanwhile, there is no doubt that biases were developed along the way but we must discipline ourselves to avoid becoming stuck on Yes! Yes! or No! No! - This is unhelpful and we can best appreciate the Process by not being so over-anxious to criticise that we overlook positive aspects or being so quick to accept farfetched promises and excuses that we condone failures and faults.

It is only fair to acknowledge that the Scheme started on Schedule January 1, 2016; Persons have been registering in droves; Clients are using the Services; the Scheme has issued its first Provider Checks within the first Month and the NHI Team still appears willing to try and assist… These are good, positive points and we should expect other good report during our continuous assessment.

We should also respect those murky areas that require clarity; such as past experience that taught us not to consider ourselves paid until the Check or IOU we received as Payment was deposited and cleared for withdrawal… Perhaps you experienced this when after paying your Employees and Creditors based on a Check received; it bounced thereby leaving you in a deeper Financial Hole.

Double Standards create Problems; Not Solutions:

Nonetheless, we trust NHI’s ability to pay as a positive so we continue to operate in ‘good faith’…

On the other hand it is no secret that the System falls short in the handling of Client’s Registration as well as the un-readiness to accommodate the Basic Requirements of Local Providers, simply because they failed to carry out genuine consultations with Local Providers and Private Insurers.

As a result of this failure, NHI produced and imposed their own unrealistic Fee Structures reflecting less than 15% or 0.14 of the True Costs and requiring Patients to pay more in Disallowed Fees and Co-pay than with other Private Insurers… This also becomes malicious if NHI implies that it is Local Providers who are being unreasonable when they know that they, NHI, are the ones at fault.

This would be added to another sinister Trick being played on Patients by Government’s Health Care Services who, instead of being required to earn their Pay like other Providers, are given significant Lump Sums of Cash to cover themselves whether or not they function adequately. Such tactics serve to diminish NHI’s Credibility and reinforce the perception that the Scheme is corrupt.

Furthermore, being exempt from the same Standard as others means they are not subject to these arbitrary NHI Fee Structure or to Patients Co-Pays or to Patients Disallowed Charges and as a consequence these Government Providers can increase their own Fees by Tens or Thousands without you ever knowing this and Based on Patients Feedback this practice is already happening.

Making NHI function for the Descendants of Slaves:

Of course this is immoral but one excuse may be that NHI and Government are finally realising the large number of Persons intent on using this mandated NHI and they fear it will push the Scheme to bankruptcy… I reject that excuse because we have already explained that to them just as I explained that the game we are now seeing is exactly how the Scheme was designed to operate.

The Function and Objective of a ‘No Help intended’ NHI would be to destroy Private Health Care Providers by any means necessary especially by pushing Patients towards BVIHSA Hospital and Clinics under false pretense – Once this is accomplished, the Monies confiscated via Patients NHI Premiums will be channeled back into Government’s Coffers to finance mistakes and corruption.

We can do better and we must do better because a properly functioning NHI could provide so much Quality, Affordable and Sustainable Health Care for Descendants of Slaves that Annual Prostate and Papsmear Screenings provided by Red Cross and Rotary could be available all year and the saving lives increased… It would be tragic for NHI to become another Ponzi Scheme.

PS: I will continue addressing some of your Questions & Comments on Live BVP Radio Programmes