Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has told Dominicans that they should secure their livelihood by applying for health insurance.
He was speaking during the presentation of the Hospital Authority Bill tabled before Parliament this week.
“One of the things I want to encourage Dominicans [to do] is to get health insurance,” he said.
Skerrit continued, “We cannot go and buy a motor car that will cost $100,000 and not have health insurance”
He called on the public to make the sacrifice because, according to him, healthcare across the world is becoming increasingly expensive.
“We have had the pilot programme, the government working in collaboration with the Dominica Social Security, but we need to ensure that Dominicans access healthcare insurance, so that we can have health coverage for all,” the Prime Minister stated
He went on to say that at the end of this debate healthcare in Dominica will be in a much better place than it was yesterday.
“I believe fundamentally that healthcare must remain at the hands of the state …,” Skerrit opined. “We must ensure that every one of our citizens and residents have access to healthcare.”
Mr. Skerrit, here is some of the issues as to why i have no insurance to date. 1the cost of living keeps being raised. the salaries of workers has dropped. I went from paying EC$67 to now being charges EC$250 for less coverage than my previous plan. Health Insurance although important is absolutely too costly in Dominica. As the minister of Finance, you need to speak with your Financial Comptroller to regulate these rising cost of health insurance as they are way too much. And i dont care about other territories, we need to ensure that these necessary services are within the price range of the average populace. Skerrit can affor health insurance for him, his family, his whole village, but i am not a greedy politician with plenty money hiding. I work honestly for mine and i try not to live above my means. alright.
Mr. Skerrit, here is some of the issues as to why i have no insurance to date. 1the cost of living keeps being raised. the salaries of workers has dropped. I went from paying EC$67 to now being charges EC$250 for less coverage than my previous plan. Health Insurance although important is absolutely too costly in Dominica. As the minister of Finance, you need to speak with your Financial Comptroller to regulate these rising cost of health insurance as they are way too much. And i dont care about other territories, we need to ensure that these necessary services are within the price range of the average populace. Skerrit can affor health insurance for him, his family, his whole village, but i am not a greedy politician with plenty money hiding. I work honestly for mine and i try not to live above my means. alright.
the Seating Prime Minister urges we Dominicans to get health insurance, but his mandate as PM, is to address the ills of our society, so why has he not drawn up a bill and take it to parliament to address this issue of health insurance for we the people of Dominica. what is the governmental policy on this? more and more i ask myself what has this administration done in the creation of policy to address the ills of our society in over 20 years?
Skeritt is simply saying that I gave you everything for your vote, now it doesn’t look good for me come next election, so look out for yourself now, bye!!!!!!
We all knew that would happen sooner rather than later. No correction, not all except those red ants that crawl to the Red Clinic every week. They thought it would last forever as long as they vote for him.
That’s an on-going Pappyshow Clownish 🤡 Behaviour from this Failed Incompetent Comical Visionless Skerrit functioning under this Failed Labour OUTDATED Disrespectful Shameful Government.
The majority of our people and Families are jobless, lacks financial resources and we have State Leaders all Over the World who sends their children to the Big Rich Countries to Study. Who pays for this? Where is the Scholarship Funds coming from? Is it from our hard EARNED Taxes?. For over twenty Failed Years this COMICALISTIC PRIME MINISTER has been in office for Years Now where our tax money 🤑💰 through this deceitfullness Bobolistic RED CLINIC just to gain FAME and FAKE Loyalty. Skerrit, you are and have NOT been this Professional Trustworthy Formidable Leader.
Your Role seems to have been this well designed for you.This Failed LABOUR GOVT has been & still Incompetent Irrelevant Visionless GOVERNMENT PRIME MINISTER. You have NOT been Able to raise Dominica’s Economy & Profile. Go Away. Need UWP.
Yeah Skerro, tell them go get their darn insurance because you, Molly and the kids have at the states expense. I guess it’s not your darn business how they pay for it. They already struggling to have MASA as it is now you telling them in so many ways that the new Chinese morguepital can’t handle them if they get sick! Partner you are the best Skerro!
Are you addressing people who own $100,000 vehicle? De greedy ones dat holding on to your end of your jacket?
Because NEP workers can’t afford dat?
Not even dlp government workers can afford dat with a 2 per cent cap on salary increase for 13 years.
Boss people living in apt for free…..they can’t afford it, no recess for their kids, can’t pay school fees, can’t pay for a funeral to bury their loved ones!!!!
You maybe trying to sound compassionate to win some much needed points and sympathy but….. you must be delusional…. you far from reality!
Skerrit you go to bed or maybe not at all (knowing how nocturnal you are) and without any extended thought or any consultations you (Skerrit) just pose anything upon the vulnerable people whose dependent upon you and because you have made them so Skerritites (due to the effect of your jombie money) they will do anything to adhere to your craziness. How many people in Dominica do you believe can afford a monthly premium for health insurance? I suggest with the $2 billion that you still do not want to account for you may well have to insure every Dominican with a $1,000,000.00 policy.
Dominica’s population is mostly comprised of the working poor. They can’t even manage to provide the basic necessities of life for themselves and their families.
Mr. Skerrit asking these desperately impecunious people to procure life insurance shows he’s completely oblivious of the hardships faced on a daily basis by tens of thousands of our brothers and sisters or he’s pretending .
We all know that it’s highly unusual for Mr. Skerrit to say anything that falls in the remote vicinity of the truth. His maladministration will never try at national health insurance for all. This is NOT in his interest nor his wife and children. They are securely covered by private health insurance for sure.
Dominicans should ask themselves why is now he is saying to buy health insurance. He plans on privatisation of the hospital so just now no more free doctor’s visit. So what going to happen to the poor people that can’t afford health insurance?
Vehicular insurance is just as important as well. Every Dominican who owns a vehicle, by law, their vehicle or vehicles should be comprehensively insured. What happens if you get into an accident and it’s your fault? Having vehicle insurance assures you that your insurance company will pay for the damage to your vehicle and also the damage to the victim’s vehicle. By law, no one should be allowed to buy and operate an uninsured vehicle. This is a crime and should be taken very seriously. The government should also urge all Dominicans who own and operate a vehicle or vehicles to have their vehicles comprehensively insured. What happens if their are passengers in the vehicle being operated? They may want to sue. Protect yourselves as well as others, my people. We are living in a different world today. A world that may not be so kind.
To the best of my knowledge, by law, the owner of a vehicle must have third party insurance but not necessarily comprehensive insurance.
Good idea. Also, we should urge all working Dominicans to buy life insurance as well for themselves and their kids. It is very important today. Say you pass away, what happens to your burial that is expensive today? What happens to your loved ones that you have left behind? A life Insurance will bring peace of mind and stability to your loved ones in the event and something that they can live on for the rest of their life. So, both health and life insurance are very important to have today. Regional health and life insurance companies should be set up in the Caribbean today giving people the assurance of and access to great health care in the future and life insurance that keeps us all at peace with ourselves..
Look garçon, most of our people don’t have enough money to put food on their table every day and you want them to pay for insurance.Surely that must be the last thing on their mind. In any case when you dead who needs insurance again, you dead anyway so whatever happen to you is ok because nothing you can do again and when you use a local insurance company they go bankrupt on you but nobody going to jail. Ask our Haitian friends how much insurance they pay.
Dominica could have a national health system funded by fiscal income, like the U.K. or alternatively funded through insurance schemes with graduated contributions and those with incomes below a min. level having their premiums funded by the state. An unfit and unhealthy population can not attain best performance.
Oh yes, make sure you get health insurance, and when you are ready for it, you can come and buy it from the new health insurance company that will be set up by MMCE!
With what Money? Probably more than 80% of working Dominicans would find it hard to consistently save $300 a month.
Just pay it for them nuh? It will cost less than building a house for every citizen.
The Government should start a National Health Insurance Scheme where Dominicans can purchase health and medical insurance policies with coverage for minor to major health/ medical coverage. As well as coverage for vision, dental, emergencies and epidemic and pandemic public health crisis.
If people don’t have access to healthcare because of the cost of paying for it then all these fancy health and medical facilities being built is of no benefit to the people.
Providing affordable health and medical insurance coverage is important as well.
Buy health insurance, and, home insurance? We are competing against people or there who have access to their countries $billions not in the hands of outsiders. Having said that, the opposition had a worse track record, we’d be paying off the nose for health care. Thanks for keeping the basic social aspect of health care so far. Save the country’s money to pay for these critical things. Buy Domlec back!
DNO as I frequent visitor and contributor to your most popular online news site, I’m getting ‘Skerrit fatigue’. I might most likely take a sabbatical. You are one of the most reliable and loyal Skerrit disciples. DBS has nothing over you in terms of being a conduit for the misleader and his propaganda and mendacity.
That unpleasant Creepy-Crawly Ibo, is begging for favours this guy is very sad!!!
My family and friends who know me best will take serious umbrage to your description of me. However, you made me laugh.
When someone says something untoward about you and it’s true try to amend your ways for the better. If it is not true then laugh to your heart’s content. Thanks to the ghost writer.
Skeritt you giving away homes to People with no jobs how do they maintain these homes?
Neo-Liberalism is alive and well in So-called Nature Is. The Social structure left behind by the Colonial Miscreants, is about to become very political. though the Prime Minister have admitted to the Fundamentality of health care being in the hand of the State, His intent is already signaled. Toute Mune will not be able to purchase cars, equating them, is being blinded by power. By De way, isn’t Health Care, not Central to Human rights? it is free in every developing Dominica like Nations. Instead of forcing the people to bargain on life insurance, why not educate De people to the importance of right EATing and physical health ? In reality, Mr Skerritt is speaking to Dominica’ 1%, RULERS and MOVERS.
Roosevelt once again I have to advised you to shut your ignorant mouth; whereas you are telling people to get medical insurance; or life insurance; you have forgotten to remind yourself that Dominica’s main industry; and sole source of revenue into the country is the sale of Dominica passports.
Asks yourself Roosevelt; how many ordinary people of the country do you have making a living; getting paid directly from the sale of passports money?
One cannot have an health insurance policy today and gone tomorrow; there is a monthly premium to pay; if more than 95% of the nation is unemployed ( without a job), meaning they do not have an income; what is the point of you suggesting they get health insurance?
Are going to pay the insurance premium for the thirty-five thousand or less; jobless people on the island?
Full employment of the people should come before you bray; in order to deflect from you incompetence, and your deep horrible corrupted affairs of fleecing the country.
@Francisco, you are the arrogant and ignorant one Dr Skerrit, wasn’t talking to a Robot he was talking to real people! Get back on board your space-ship to Mars and beyond!!!
Who the hell is Dr. Skerrit?
What discipline did he (that damn crook) major in to afford him a Ph.D.? You do not expect anybody with commonsense to honor a corrupted crook who used ill-gain corrupted money to buy two pieces of useless paper which he cannot use to get a job doctor, do you?
The corrupted crook believes he is a medical doctor you know; that is why he said “ninty (90%) of the time when people think they are sick it is in the mind “).
Man Dog, I know what it takes to work hard and earn degrees: That is why I am Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque: AS Liberal Arts; AS Electronic Engineering; BS Electronic Engineering; & BS Electrical Engineering respectively.
All earned and in me hip pocket eh!
While you glory in Roosevelt bought pieces of garbage, what have you got under your belt as far as educational credentials are concerned?
State your academic background let’s see nuh!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
You ain’t gat none eh!
Oh, sorry Mr. Mandog; my mistake; I clean forgot to inform you that this old kid here also has a background in medicine; I did not graduate medical school, but you can rest assured, I can save your life medically if the occasion of a medical emergency arises.
I am neither you nor Roosevelt and certainly, I am not a corrupted crook nor a dam Dominica corrupted thief like someone I know eh!
Ah don know how you bursting for me to say the name of that damn Mr. Thief, but I doh talking eh; I know but I still doh calling him name eh!
By the time Scotland Yard finishes, we will all find out who is the Dominican with sticky fingers, and I know it ain’t me cause I have two half of a finger eh; so I doh can use dem fu thief eh!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
Well put Brave Warrior, the people’s advocate.
Is joke Skerrit joking. He CANNOT seriously expect the vast majority of families to purchase Life Insurance. He lives his champagne lifestyle secluded in his rented thirty million dollar ($30 000 000)palace with his family insulated from the daily hardships of life faced by commoners. So he cannot relate to the excruciating pain and suffering of tens of thousands of Dominicans.
We need constitutional reforms. There should be a recall clause in the constitution for the people to recall non-performing and corrupt leaders and ministers of government before a general election is due.
For his underwhelming and abysmal performance, Roosevelt Skerrit needs to be sent into permanent, political exile. The man is a political VAMPIRE, sucking most of the resources of the country for himself.
Well why don’t YOU put a NHIS National Health Insurance Scheme in place Mr. Prime Minister? There are several Caribbean models that can be copied. Trinidad for starters.
Stupes tan.
Remember Skerrit said during the last campaign he knew his family had health insurance and could fly out in a minute if they had to! And all the Labor rights screamed YEAH!!!!!!!! Now without jobs and money his telling Dominicans to get insurance! Go figure!
First he has the Chinese built that ‘state of the art hospital’ and then he made a massive propaganda ha-hu out of it. What he forgot to tell all you at the time that health care won’t be free of charge going forward. In fact nothing won’t be free of charge going forward in Dominica because YOUR PM squandered all you CBI money. All you better get health insurance but I know the majority could not afford that. So what is YOUR PM trying to do to you…?
Skerrit the liar, has great difficulty in conveying his message to the public with clarity. No wonder as Prime Minister for 17 years he has never engaged anyone in a debate head on. English seem anathema to him!!!!
Skerrit the liar, is urging everyone to get health insuurance, but he lies so much, he does not even understand most Dominicans cannot even eat two proper meals per day, let alone for taking health care insurance. This is mainly due to his mismanagement of the economy, as most Dominicans are marginalised, and foreigners are engaged in most, if not all projects on island worth hundreds of millions of dollars….Also as the economy continues to collapse, and unemployment continuss to rise, how could Skerrit the liar, believe that the average Dominican can have health insurance?????
% you often hit Mr. Skerrit with vicious uppercuts, powerful left hooks and right hooks, hard punches to the solo plexus and stiff jabs to the face. But, you know what, he deserves all of it for his awful mishandling and mismanagement of the country’s resources and his consistently BIG, FAT, OBESE LIES.