Talk Show host Mr Edmund G. Maduro is convinced that the government of the Virgin Islands (VI) is trying to commercialize the health care system of the territory, giving root to the opinions recently shared by columnist Alred C. Frett. Photo: VINO/File

Columnist Mr Alred C. Frett has come out forcefully against the controversial National Health Insurance. Photo: VINO/File

The controversial NHI is slated to come on stream on January 1, 2016. Registration began on September 1, 2015. Photo: VINO/File

It was during Mr Maduro’s live call-in talk show, the EGM Show on ZROD 103.7 FM, on Thursday September 24, 2015 that he quoted Mr Frett’s narrative as saying, “bear in mind that it is universally accepted that private care is better than public care so enacting this scheme would effectively remove freedom of choice from patients and force citizens to pay in advance for services they may never require or receive. Thus success of this scheme would leave BVIslanders to suffer without chance of choice and to despair without hope for help.”

“While it may seem impossible for anyone to buy into this scheme the trap was baited by offering private care providers imaginary keys to a bottomless pit of money by promising they would make a killing by being able to charge patients whatever ridiculous fees they desired since government would block patients from seeking external health care without permission from these doctors.”

It was those statements that Mr Maduro used to point out government’s alleged attempt to commercialise the health care system by instituting the National Health Insurance (NHI). “I have said these things to you over this show already and here is a gentleman who owns a health care system virtually repeating what I have said.”

He went on to state emphatically, “it is being suggested here that there is something in the mortar besides the pestle. I have said to you they have been trying to commercialise our health care…”

Mr Maduro, referring to some civil servants as ‘cowards’, challenged them to sign the petition that is currently out claiming that if they are victimised for doing so they would have solid grounds to sue the government. “You can sue the government for depriving you of your inalienable human rights."

He challenged the government of the day to stop making money rackets out of the people of the territory.

The controversial NHI is slated to come on stream on January 1, 2016. Registration began on September 1, 2015.