Doctors’ services to BVIHSA & private sector will soon be reviewed- Health Minister
His comments were made during the "Talking Points" programme on Monday, July 28, 2025, aired on ZBVI and Facebook Live.
He stated, "I attended the Ministers of Health Council in Dominica, and this issue arose. It's not just a problem there; it’s an issue across the Caribbean. Deciding how you want your healthcare to function is not a simple task. The same doctors who are providing care here behave differently in other places because the regulations vary."
Wheatley further said, "If I decided that, effective tomorrow, no doctors can work here while also practicing privately, then that’s the decision. There would be consequences to this choice, so you either adapt to it or recognise that this current system isn’t working for BVI healthcare and make a change."
He noted that "We haven’t reached that point yet because we are currently implementing other healthcare reforms at the hospital. However, I assure you that we will get there because people are taking advantage of the system. Right now, whether a doctor sees 10 patients, 50 patients, or just one, their pay remains the same."
'Doctors will need to make a choice'
The Minister emphasised that "The new system will alter this dynamic. The more patients a doctor sees, the more they can earn because they will be compensated based on the services provided."
He concluded by stating, "This represents a national implication of our current actions. Doctors will need to make a choice: will they work HSA or in the Private Sector? Our current approach is not sustainable. We can't continue on this path indefinitely; doctors must choose between the HSA and private practice."
However, he added that it is the responsibility of the government to provide clear options for doctors, “allowing them to decide where they wish to work."
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17 Responses to “Doctors’ services to BVIHSA & private sector will soon be reviewed- Health Minister”
Doctors been taking advantage of the system yes. Ask H**** Va******. He alone made millions in three years after the launch of NHI. The old people in the 50's and 60's would call his A$$ a rake. They got your health held hostage with the cost for dis-service.
THEY ARE LURING PATIENT FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYETM TO PRIVATE WHICH CAUSE NHI TO DRAIN .
ALOT OF PATIENT CAN TESTIFY THAT HOSPITAL DOCTORS REFER PARTIENT TO PRIVATE HEALTH CARE AND THEN GO AND CONSULT WITH THEM THERE.THEY GETTING A PERCENTAHE IN CONSULTING FEES IN PRIVATE.
THE WHOLE HEATLTH SYSTEM IS CORRUPT MEH SON. THE PRIVATE SYSTEM IS THE ULTIMATE ENABLER